Community Investment

As of September of 2019, UNAC Calgary helped fund 6 projects and programs from local community organizations, for a total of $35,000. This included 5 projects under our grant program valued at $2,000 each to registered charities and non-profits seeking to implement community benefit projects in the local area.

External Partner Projects

GlobalFest

Human Rights Forum: GlobalFest’s annual HRF topics are centered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) coalition of municipalities against racism and discrimination commitment. In 2019, we were Presenting Sponsor of the GlobalFest Human Rights Forum, which gave our two organizations the opportunity to champion the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development through conversation on important social issues.

2019 GRANT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation

Cultural Appreciation Fair: A fair (safe space) that will help Calgarians understand and be educated on the difference between cultural appreciation vs. appropriation through various artist educational sessions, cultural booths, resources and activities.

Green Calgary Association

Energy Revolution Fair 2020: Our Energy Revolution Fair engages Calgary’s youth in an interactive outdoor setting to explore and showcase renewable energy innovations. A big component of our fair is a Student Competition where student teams get to develop a renewable energy service, product, or technology, examine prototyping opportunities and get feedback from local experts. We empower youth to become a generation of change makers who will lead an energy revolution in our city and become role models for youth across the globe.

Junior League of Calgary

Star Club: Empowering women and girls to break the cycle of poverty and abuse for this generation and future generations. This will benefit the community as a whole. When women and girls become educated and empowered, they are able to be independent and self-sufficient.

Women’s Centre of Calgary

Social Issues Discussion Series: The “Social Issues Discussion Series” pilot will allow Women’s Centre volunteers, community members, and women from throughout Calgary to learn about anti-racism and the intersections with gender and Truth and Reconciliation more in-depth.  This is a three-part discussion series where participants can learn from experienced facilitators and each other about a community-identified social justice issue.

Youth Central Society

Youth Earth Ambassadors- Vegetarian Cook-off: Youth, ages 12-18, from the Youth Earth Ambassadors Leadership Committee will plan a Vegetarian Cook-Off competition to teach other youth are about the benefits of a plant-based diet, sustainable eating and how to reduce their carbon footprint. The benefit to the community is that youth will have increased knowledge of the environmental impacts of food choices, healthy eating, and cooking sustainable dishes and benefits of choosing local ingredients. This will have an impact on the environment as well as support to local businesses. We aim to have participants leave thinking about the impact of their food sourcing and the environmental ramifications of their diets, and choose to carry some mindful habits forward as a way to live more sustainably.

In 2018, UNAC Calgary helped fund 7 projects and programs from local community organizations, for a total of $42,000. This included 5 projects under our newly structured grant program valued at $1,000 each to registered charities and non-profits seeking to implement community benefit projects in the local area.

EXTERNAL PARTNER PROJECTS

GlobalFest

Human Rights Forum: GlobalFest’s annual HRF topics are centered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) coalition of municipalities against racism and discrimination commitment. In 2018, we were Presenting Sponsor of the GlobalFest Human Rights Forum, which gave our two organizations the opportunity to champion the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development through conversation on important social issues.

Marda Loop Justice Film Festival

UNAC Calgary sponsored two film selections: ‘Metamorphosis’ and ‘Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes’.

The films were free and open to the public and screened during the 5 day festival in November, which also engages Calgarians through dialogue lead by featured guest speakers.

2018 GRANT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

Calgary Centre for Global Community

under an umbrella we met: Exploring Gender Identities: In 2015, we introduced the ‘under an umbrella we met’ project. The project featured short films with one key difference — while watching the films on an individual tablet, you could step into the actual, worn shoes of the person featured in the film. Each story shares the experiences and views of a single individual and each film provides the chance for the viewer to make a more intimate and physical connection with the person they were ‘meeting’. The first series featured Muslims from Bangladesh, Jordan and Canada; the second was Indigenous Youth from Southern Alberta. In this third ‘under an umbrella’ series, we will present the stories of persons who are exploring their own gender identity, with the expectation that through hearing these stories, viewers will be more informed and empathic regarding gender and the issues surrounding and underlying identities that do not fit the societal norm.

St Albert the Great Parish

St Albert the Great Community Garden: Build a Community Garden to educate and instill a love of gardening within our parish and community

Hands-on Growing

Spruce It Up Community Garden and Training Centre: We will be employing Students of the Autism Spectrum as an internship.  While teaching them valuable job training in Urban Farming and Sustainable Permaculture they will also learn retail and community involvement. We are building a Community garden at a landscape centre where we will be selling Hands-on Growing’s mobile garden baskets that use rain water cisterns and filter contaminants through the gardens wicking bed systems.  Community members are encouraged to come out and not only learn to garden for all ages but also how they can build their own inexpensive system while supporting Hands-on Growing in our efforts to educate youth in schools on urban farming creating a regenerative cycle of involvement building community by empowering people to grow their own improving food sustainability and improving the environment.

Generation Indigenous (GENi)

A Long Time Coming: “A Long Time Coming” is a summer festival celebrating all Indigenous people, their culture, and their future. It is an intersectional festival focused on bolstering the relationships between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities within the Calgary area. Our festival wants to emphasize that reconciliation is only possible through diversity therefore our activities and partnerships will incorporate many layers of intersectionality such as ethnicity, gender, class and so forth and we will explore how those layers can empower individuals towards local reconciliation.

Fair Trade Calgary

Obtaining Fair Trade Town designation for the City of Calgary: Fair Trade Calgary works with community groups in Calgary to bring awareness to fair trade by educating the public in a fun way about fair trade and the benefits it has in empowering marginalized communities, and by advocating for fair trade products to be available and promoted at local businesses.  Our events aim to be inclusive to people of all backgrounds and we enjoy partnering with other community grassroots movements that value fairness, equality and human rights. The community will also benefit from the alternatives provided to the consumers, as well as educating youths regarding social equality, social justice and environmental sustainability when making a consumer choice.

Whereas in previous years, our funding program was open to any non-profit or group running a community benefit project, our approach to community investment changed in 2017 to reflect our strategic goal to achieve quality community partnerships and community engagement. Instead, we created five smaller grants valued at $1,000 open to local nonprofits, and then focused on creating partnerships with two of our longtime successful applicants, whose yearly programs are well aligned with our mandate. This guaranteed funding on their end, and created a relationship based on commitment to partnership and collaboration.

In 2017, UNAC Calgary helped fund 3 projects and programs from local community organizations, for a total of $36,190.

EXTERNAL PARTNER PROJECTS

GlobalFest

Human Rights Forum: GlobalFest’s annual HRF topics are centered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) coalition of municipalities against racism and discrimination commitment.

In 2017, we were Presenting Sponsor of the GlobalFest Human Rights Forum, which gave our two organizations the opportunity to champion the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development through dialogue and conversation on important Indigenous issues.

Marda Loop Justice Film Festival

UNAC Calgary sponsored two film selections: Bee Nation, the story behind Canada’s all-First Nations spelling bee and the Road Forward, a musical documentary that connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history.

The films were free and open to the public and screened during the 5-day festival in November, which also engages Calgarians through dialogue led by featured conversation leaders.

Seminar on the United Nations and International Affairs (SUNIA)

UNAC Calgary sponsored two students with financial need to attend the summer program.

SUNIA is North America’s longest running Model United Nations summer program. They provide students with the opportunity to meet UN officers, think critically about world issues, and engage in simulations covering a variety of social issues.

2017 GRANT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS

It is to be noted that we didn’t award any of the five $1,000 grants due to lack of applicants.

2016 Funded Projects

In 2016, UNAC Calgary helped fund 5 projects and programs from local community organizations, for a total of $57,399.53.

Calgary Centre for Global Community (CCGC)

Two short film projects—the Word and Under an Umbrella We Met.

The Word is a web series, to increase viewer’s awareness and understanding of conflict, improve interpersonal relationships and promote a culture of piece and piece building. The film is anticipated to receive approximately 6,000 viewings.

Under an Umbrella We Met, is a series of six short films to step into the shoes of eight Indigenous youth in Alberta. The films will be shown free of charge across the province, in the format of a touring exhibition.

Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation

#Icameasarefugee anti-racism Poster Campaign: The campaign kicked off on World Refugee Day, which is observed by the United Nations on June 29th, and posters were located in various high-traffic locations throughout the city.

Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)

Youth Wavemakers program: An Alberta curriculum-linked education program that develops the capacity of students and educators to take action on water issues.

GlobalFest

Human Rights Forum: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) is a platform for engaging the community and sharing the experiences, knowledge and practical solutions necessary to address issues of racism and discrimination in Calgary.

GlobalFest’s annual HRF topics are centered on UNESCO’s Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination Commitment.

Marda Loop Justice Film Festival

UNAC Calgary sponsored two film selections: Apology and Sonic Sea, centered around human rights and environmental issues.

The films were free and open to the public and screened during the 5 day festival in November, which also engages Calgarians through dialogue lead by featured guest speakers.

In 2016, UNAC Calgary helped fund 5 projects and programs from local community organizations, for a total of $57,399.53.

Calgary Centre for Global Community (CCGC)

Two short film projects—the Word and Under an Umbrella We Met.

The Word is a web series, to increase viewer’s awareness and understanding of conflict, improve interpersonal relationships and promote a culture of piece and piece building. The film is anticipated to receive approximately 6,000 viewings.

Under an Umbrella We Met, is a series of six short films to step into the shoes of eight Indigenous youth in Alberta. The films will be shown free of charge across the province, in the format of a touring exhibition.

Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation

#Icameasarefugee anti-racism Poster Campaign: The campaign kicked off on World Refugee Day, which is observed by the United Nations on June 29th, and posters were located in various high-traffic locations throughout the city.

Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST)

Youth Wavemakers program: An Alberta curriculum-linked education program that develops the capacity of students and educators to take action on water issues.

GlobalFest

Human Rights Forum: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) is a platform for engaging the community and sharing the experiences, knowledge and practical solutions necessary to address issues of racism and discrimination in Calgary.

GlobalFest’s annual HRF topics are centered on UNESCO’s Coalition of Municipalities against Racism and Discrimination Commitment.

Marda Loop Justice Film Festival

UNAC Calgary sponsored two film selections: Apology and Sonic Sea, centered around human rights and environmental issues.

The films were free and open to the public and screened during the 5 day festival in November, which also engages Calgarians through dialogue lead by featured guest speakers.

Total Community Investment:  $28,824

• Word Fest
• Marda Loop Justice Film Festival
• Sport in the Box (SPOX 2.0) FIFA –Football for Hope
• Global Fest Human Rights Forum

GlobalFest Youth Forum

 GlobalFest Youth Forum: This forum actively involves students through performances and artistic workshops. The forum encourages students to use the arts as a fresh form of education and expression while also educating them against mindsets of negativity and violence.

The purpose of the program is to teach urban arts, such as graffiti art and hip hop dance, as a legitimate form of artistic expression as well as address teenage issues including bullying, drug abuse, discrimination and racism.

UNAC- Calgary is proud to be the major sponsor of this event for many years running.

Ripple Effect

We’ve helped fund The Ripple Effect, a project that promotes water as an international human right and aims to build a generation of young leaders with the skills to address issues of water scarcity, conservation, and sanitation.

The Calgary branch is a continued sponsor of this initiative in our city by helping educate hundreds of kids about the importance of water in sustainability and ending poverty. Some of the related activities we sponsor include: educational outreach, after-school programs and participation in conventions.

The Ripple Effect is run by the national UNA-Canada branch.

U of C Model UN Club

UNAC- Calgary funds were used to create three University of Calgary scholarships for the 2012 academic year. The funds were used to ensure UCMUNT is represented during several Model UN conferences at the following universities: Yale University, Georgetown University, McGill University or the University of British Colombia.

UNAC- Calgary’s objective was to facilitate the engagement and empowerment of Calgarian youth in Model UN activities.

NUTV

Greenlite Arts Festival: The NUTV Greenlite Arts Festival is a celebration of local art with an environmental focus. The festival provides opportunities for students to discuss environmental issues, develop technical art skills, engage their creative side as well as facilitate the production of film and photographic work with an environmental spin.

In 2012, UNAC- Calgary sponsored a student-run environmental film festival to celebrate Earth Week.

U of C Consortium for Peace Studies & Project Ploughshares

Calgary’s Peace Run: A fun fitness event organized by University of Calgary’s Consortium for Peace Studies and Project Ploughshares Calgary was funded in part by UNAC- Calgary to celebrate United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21, 2012.