** For full program details, please visit:
http://southasianevents.blogspot.com/

Commemorating a Century of South Asian Presence in Canada-Events from November 17-23, 2008

South Asians first arrived in Canada at the end of the nineteenth century, and by 1908, approximately 5,000 were reported to be resident in British Columbia. That year, the Canadian government introduced the Continuous Journey requirement seeking to prohibit further South Asian migration into the country. In 1914, Gurdit Singh, a Punjabi, chartered the Komagata Maru and a group of 376 South Asians passengers sailed to Canada to challenge this racist law. Although they were forced to return to India, they dealt a serious blow to the 'Keep Canada White' policies of the white settler society.

A group of South Asian academics, activists and community groups have come together to organize a week-long series of events in November (17- 23), 2008, to mark over one hundred years of South Asian presence in Canada, and to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Continuous Journey requirement. These events will pay homage to the struggles waged by South Asian communities in the past, celebrate our achievements, and build alliances as we face the challenges of the 21st century.

Please mark your calenders for a series of events - all details on website:

- Film screenings of award-winning film maker Ali Kazimi, in attendance
- Toronto youth activist and keynote speaker Kabir Joshi-Vijayan
- Community forums at Langara College and Kwantlen College
- South Asian Performance Art and Poetry
- Academic Colloquiums at UBC and University of the Fraser Valley
- Media Roundtable on Representation of South Asians

Organizers: Sunera Thobani, Indira Prahst, Harsha Walia.

For general and media inquiries, please email: southasianevents@gmail.com

We would like to acknowledge that we reside on the lands of the Indigenous peoples/First Nations and support them in their ongoing struggle for self determination from racist settler-colonialism.