INSIDEReports from the fieldYouth shape their worldBridges

A CHANGE FOR CHILDREN PUBLICATION

Ed CarsonChampion of Children’s Rights

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Ed CarsonChampion of Children’s Rights

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In This IssueFrom the Editor

CHANGE FOR CHILDREN ASSOCIATION (CFCA) is an Edmonton based non-governmentalorganization with a thirty-two year history of working for sustainable grassroots communitydevelopment in Latin America and Africa and a vibrant Global Education Program is Canada.

Healthy Communities, Human Dignity, Global JusticeCFCA Office: 10808 –124 Street, 2nd Floor, Edmonton, AB, T5M 0H3Ph: 780.448-1505 | Fx: 780.448.1507 | www.changeforchildren.orgRegistered Charitable Organization No. 11884 9496 RR0001

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Canadian Publication Agreement #40050574–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Ed CarsonA look back at 30years of solidarityand inspirationPage 3

Reports fromthe FieldVisiting projects inLatin AmericaPage 7

Shape YourWorldRural Roots sowsseeds of justicePage 10

UpcomingEventsAGM; SolidarityFundraiserPage 12

EDITORS:Fiona Cavanagh and Jay Smith

Design & layout: Chris Peters

What Is Possible

Last week I had the opportu-nity to visit St. Angela's ele-mentary school, in NorthEast Edmonton. This is theschool where Ed Carson hasworked for many years. Assoon as I walked in the door,I felt Ed's presence in the art-work, the sense of creativity,inclusiveness and compas-sion. For more than twentyyears, Ed has been instru-

mental in changing the world for children and the communities they are apart of, both in Canada and internationally. He has incredible conviction forwhat is possible and works tirelessly towards that. Ed has worked for humanrights for two decades and this long term commitment is what I have heardso many of our Nicaraguan partners express immense gratitude for.

This issue of Bridges is dedicated to Ed, to his family and to the incredibleimpact that his work has had on so many people, that has connected people.

In working on this issue of Building Bridges, I have really stopped to thinkabout what the world would be like without people like Ed Carson, orthrough another perspective, look what is possible, look what the world canbe like with people like Ed Carson. I invite everyone who reads this issue,whether you have met Ed or not, to carry on his work to help sustain theprojects and partners that are achieving critical change in places where it isneeded most.

Sincerely,Fiona CavanaghEducation Coordinator

Agence canadienne de développement international

Canadian International Development Agency

To subscribe to Change for Children'smonthly electronic newsletter email usat cfca@changeforchildren.org

e-Newsletter

Change for Children gratefullyacknowledges the support of:

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wheelchair to the capital. Ed dancingfeverishly, twisting a laughing childaround at one of the many parties ofthe projects to which he dedicatedhis life.

They are snapshots that illustratethe infectious joy with which Ed,who is currently battling cancer inpalliative care at the Grey NunsHospital, has approached his almost30 years of international solidarity

Though twenty years have passedsince Vicenta Mebraño first met EdCarson, the memory remains vivid inher mind.

“It was a Wednesdayand I arrived at CentroRolando Carazo, the cen-tre for abused and aban-doned children, to dropoff a girl from Esteli,” sherecalls. “And I was struckby the image of a whiteman - very tall - withhuge thong sandals on.There he was, riding adonkey with a child onhis lap. I said to myself, 'Only a chelewould bring a donkey into a chil-dren's centre.' But I saw his happi-ness and his cries of joy and the pos-itive energy that he directed towardsthe child, and I was struck by this. Itwas at that point that my empathy,love, admiration and friendship withEduardo began. There are very fewpeople like him on this earth.”

Similar stories have become loreamongst Change for Children sup-porters fortunate enough to spendtime with Ed, either in Canada or onone of his frequent trips toNicaragua. Children streaming outof homes and alleys to run after Ed'struck, happily shrieking, "Eduardo!Eduardo!' as he drives the dustyroads of Managua's barrios. Ed feign-ing a broken leg, complete with fullleg cast, on a flight to Nicaragua sohe could bring a much-needed

work. Ed first became involved with

Change for Children in 1979. In1985, through his connections in theCatholic School Board, he helpedthe fledgling organization find itsfirst office, a free space in St.Michael's Elementary School. Thiswas the organization's home for thenext 18 years.

...continued on page 4

Feature BY SCOTT HARRIS - VOLUNTEER AND FORMER CFCA BOARD MEMBER

Ed Carson: Championof Children’s Rights

I saw hishappiness andhis cries of joy

and the positiveenergy that he

directed towardsthe child, andI was struck

by this.– Vicenta Mebraño

”

”

04 PHOTOS: Ed with Projects Coordinator Lorraine Swift, photo by Frank Bessai; Ed at INPRHU project, photo courtesy of INPRHU

putting people first Ed always man-aged to get things done, often quick-er,” he remembers. “Whether it washundreds that needed help or justone individual, Ed always managedto find time and resources.”

Following the electoral defeat ofthe Sandinistas in the 1990 elections,the UNO government decimatedmany of the progressive social pro-grams that had been put in placeduring the '80s, forcing many proj-ects to reinvent themselves as non-profit organizations to continue theircritical work.

One such organization thatemerged was INPRHU, the Institute

A teacher with a focus on specialeducation, he spent two years inNigeria before traveling to Nicaraguain 1984, during the years of theSandinista revolution and at theheight of the Contra War. InNicaragua, Ed made a connectionthat continues to this day with thepeople - especially the children - ofthe impoverished country.

He volunteered for eight years atCentro Rolando Carazo, workingwith marginalized youth and chil-dren with severe disabilities. It wasthere that he fell in love with one thecentre's educators, Maria Elena,whom he would eventually marry.

But Ed's involvement inNicaragua went far beyond the wallsof the centre. In the '80s Ed alreadyrecognized the importance of creat-ing lasting, face-to-face relationshipsbetween the people of Nicaragua andthe people of Canada, especiallythose from his home province ofAlberta. He played host to delega-tions of church groups and otherinternationals who came to thecountry to offer assistance to theSandinista government.

Bill Howe, an engineer who trav-elled to Nicaragua to volunteer in1988 and was later the president ofChange for Children, recalls what iswas like traveling in Managua withEd.

“I couldn't get over Ed's lifestyle.Someone would stop him in thestreet and he was caught up in a con-versation for an hour. He would takethe truck in to get fixed and the nextthing I knew, the 'plans' were off andwe were invited over for dinner withthe mechanic's family. Little did Iknow then that the plans were almostalways a lower priority. Somehow, by

for Human Promotion, which wasformed in 1990. Ed was involvedfrom the beginning, and his connec-tions to the organization would laterlead to the creation of one of Changefor Children's most long-lastingpartnerships.

“Ed made a huge impact on thework of INPRHU,” explains theorganization's director FannyAcevedo. “He was the most recog-nized person in Managua - not onlyamongst the children but alsoamongst the shop owners, bus driv-ers, all of the people in the marketsthat made up the environment of thechildren. He was so loving towards

Feature CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Whether it washundreds that needed

help or just oneindividual, Ed alwaysmanaged to find time

and resources. ...– Bill Howe, CFCA Past President

”

”

05PHOTOS: Ed and Maria Elena visiting well project in Ojoche, photo by Pedro Martinez: Ed at INPRHU project, photo courtesy of INPRHU

the children that others would seethis love and be inspired to be betterpeople themselves, to treat childrenwith respect and love as Eduardo did.

“As Nicaraguans dedicated tosocial justice work it was a pleasureto walk at his side through a marketbecause he absolutely embodied thework that we do so well - to care forthe children with the children - attheir sides and in their communities.Ed became the very heart and soul ofso many of the INPRHU communi-ties.”

After returning to Edmontonwith Maria Elena and their youngdaughter Quetzala in the early '90s,

his work in solidarity with Nicaraguacontinued. Working as a specialneeds teacher at St. Angela'sElementary School, he inspired stu-dents and faculty alike to raise fundsfor groups in Nicaragua like PajaritoAzul (Blue Bird Centre), an orphan-age for children with severe disabili-ties in Managua, as well as for organ-izations in Canada working in soli-darity with the Global South.

He also reestablished himself as apillar of the Change for Childrencommunity in Canada, devotingendless hours to presentations inchurches and schools, fundraisers

Ed was so lovingtowards the childrenthat others would seethis love and be inspiredto be better peoplethemselves.– Fanny Acevedo, Institute for Human Promotion(INPRHU), Nicaragua

”

”

Continuing the WorkChange for Children hopes to con-tiue the work of Ed Carson into thefuture.

Please consider a donation in hon-our and celebration of Ed's relent-less contribution to social justiceeducation, his passionate advoca-cy for the rights of all children, andto ensure that his important workcontinues.

We encourage you to work withyour own community of friends,colleagues, and family to ensurethat we are able to raise anamount that is significant in keep-ing with the contribution that Edhas made to this work over his life-time.

Endowment gifts of $10,000 ormore can also be arranged. Forinformation about gifting to theseprojects contact Shelaine at CFCAoffice.

...continued on page 6

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barrio, lived with a host family in LasTorres and saw firsthand the socialinequalities that exist in Nicaragua,”Roberts recalls. “Since I came home Ihave been forever changed, workingfor social justice in a variety of differ-ent ways. Ed has greatly influencedwho I am today. His passion forsocial justice is highly contagious and

has greatly impacted me,my life choices and generallife path.”

Ed also recognizedthe importance of globaleducation in Canada: inaddition to his many pre-sentations across theprovince, he was activelyinvolved in the tour of theNicaraguan youth bandLights of the Future whenthey visited Alberta in1998, as well as the 2000Painting Peace project.

Over the years, Edhas demonstrated a singu-lar ability to inspire andinvolve people of all ageson issues of social justice,and this year his daughterQuetzala, who is now 15,became an active partici-pant in Change for

Children's Rural Roots Youth ActionProject.

The results of Ed's love for thepeople of Nicaragua and years ofefforts continue to this day, evi-denced by the long-term partner-ships that have been fosteredbetween Alberta and Nicaragua.

“You at Change for Childrenknow the impact of Ed's work as wellas we do,” says INPHRU's FannyAcevedo. “All of the youth tours, andcooperants, and the people whocame on the bus, and the people whokeep coming year after year inbrigades of dentists and constructionteams - these people all come becauseof their connection to Eduardo.”

“He makes everybody feel likethey can do something to help - likethey should do something to help.And they do it.” n

and acting as a mentor and advisorfor staff and volunteers in Canada.

Ed was the driving force behindthe numerous adult and youth toursthat travelled to Nicaragua from1997 to 2002, and he played hostand friend to bewildered and over-whelmed participants as he tookthem through the barrios and proj-ects to help them came to terms withthe realities of Nicaragua. He evendrove one group from Edmonton toManagua in a school bus that he thendonated to a project in Nicaragua.

These tours exposed dozens ofAlbertans to life in Nicaragua, andfundamentally changed the directionof many of the tour participants'lives and careers. Laura Roberts visit-ed Nicaragua on the 1997 youth tourand, like many others, was trans-formed by the experience.

“I went to Nicaragua and workedwith CFCA's project partners in the

Feature CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Children’s Rights Mural ProjectsTo celebrate and continue the incredible work of Ed Carson, Change forChildren will create two public art murals over the next six months. Threemural painters from our Nicaraguan partner organizations INPRHU andFUNARTE will join us in Edmonton to work with local artists to create amural on the second floor wall of St. Angela's school in Edmonton. A simi-lar mural will be painted in Managua in September as part of our Children'sRights Project.

Mural panels are $500; please contact Change for Children if you would liketo support this project or for more information.

Ed’s passion for socialjustice is highly contagiousand has greatly impactedme, my life choices andgeneral life path.– Laura Roberts, former Youth Tour participant

”

”

Four Countries,One Commitment

CFCA's partner, La Caleta, haveallowed her "to forget where I comefrom and just be who I am." Whoshe is, is Carmela a natural leaderwith a beautiful laugh. She hasbecome a youth educator withinCFCA's child rights and leadershipproject inspiring children from herneighbourhood to stay in school, toavoid gang membership and to par-ticipate in making child rights a real-ity in Chile.

BoliviaIn Bolivia, I met a group of

teenage girls and boys about to begintechnical education programs as apart of CFCA's rights and vocationaleducation project with our partner,

Over the past several months,I've had the very special opportunityto meet many of the young peopleparticipating in Change forChildren's various projects through-out Latin America. These are youthand children who come to CFCA'spartners from households living inpoverty, from street corners, fromstruggling schools, from communi-ties facing serious violence, fromrisky jobs they work out of necessity,from places where, through my eyes,the future may not look too promis-ing.

But overwhelmingly, the youngpeople that I've met through visits toCFCA projects in Bolivia, Chile,Peru and Nicaragua are looking pastthe obstacles that they face and envi-sioning brighter futures. They speakeloquently about the skills they aredeveloping, the problems they areovercoming, the ways they are learn-ing to work together and the visionsthat they have for themselves, theirfamilies and their communities. Intheir eyes shine the potential thatChange for Children and its vibrantcommunity have long recognizedand long worked to nurture.

ChileIn Chile, a 16 year old girl from

Legua de la Emergencia, a rough bar-rio in downtown Santiago notoriousthroughout the city for drugs andrelated gang violence, told me thather years of involvement with

Centro de la Promocion Minera(CEPROMIN). They told me abouthow their fathers and grandfathersand great grandfathers had lived anddied for the silver and mineral minesof Potosi. How their mothers andgrandmothers and great grandmoth-ers had worked around the minesand about how they and their sib-lings were expected to do the same.They told me about how amongpoor communities in Potosi most seeno other path but that to the mine.And then they told me about hownow they, with the support ofCEPROMIN, envisioned a differentfuture, having researched the marketsfor bakers, welders, carpenters and

Report From The Field BY JULIA PAULSON - CHANGE FOR CHILDREN VOLUNTEER

07

...continued on page 8

art, they're teaching them about theirown power. They are giving them thetools to create change. This I know,because they did the same for me.

PeruIn Peru, Paty and Amparo, coor-

dinators at Manos Libres, CFCA'spartner, told me about all they learnfrom the young women with whomthey work. All the teenage women inCFCA's project in the sprawlingneighbourhood of Via El Salvador inLima's outskirts are mothers, strug-gling with under employment, trun-cated education and, often, difficultfamily situations. Nonetheless, theyare determined to raise their childrenwith confidence and love. Throughthe radio dramas they write, act and

child-care workers in their commu-nities. They told me about howmuch they look forward to theircourses and they thanked us, inCanada, for believing in them.

NicaraguaIn Nicaragua, I met with old

friends whom I met years ago, thanksto Change for Children, when afriend and I were looking to volun-teer in Latin America. As they weredoing when we arrived there in2002, CFCA partners FUNARTEand INPHRU are still changingyoung people's lives through art. Byteaching rights, leadership and lifeskills through music, muralism andcircus, these organizations aren't justteaching young people the power of

Report From The Field BY SHELAINE SPARROW - DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, CFCA

I was completely taken aback by visit-ing the Pamkawas school during arecent visit to Bosawas, Nicaragua.The school was completed in 2007 bythe joint efforts of Kindness inAction, Wildrose Foundation andseveral generous donors. Hoards ofgiggling children lead me up the hillfrom the river to see the brightorange primary school - literallybeaming from atop of the junglehill where it sits. Inside is radiant–posters of powerful positive mes-sages in Miskito and Spanish proudlyhung along the walls. I wish all oursupporters could experience humblepride I felt knowing that by workingfor CFCA I was involved in this beau-tiful school and the bright future itcreates for all its eager students. n

Pamkawas | Nicaragua

Four Countries, One Commitment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

08 PHOTOS: Pamkawas school, top, photo by Shelaine Sparrow; Bolivia project photo, above, by Julia Paulson

produce, they share their stories withother young people in their commu-nity, promoting sexual health andgrowing as leaders and mothers.'They're the ones who teach us,' saidAmparo, 'not the other way around.'

Meeting the partner organiza-tions behind some of CFCA's proj-ects and spending time with the chil-dren and youth who bring the proj-ects to life has been a moving andincredible experience. The opportu-nity has made crystal clear somethingthat the people of Change forChildren have long advocated: thatpoverty doesn't close young people'seyes or blur their power to dream.That, with the support of the amaz-ing and capable organizations part-nered with CFCA, they can build the

Report From The Field BY MIREY LOPEZ - BOARD MEMBER, CFCA

My experience monitoring theRural Community Water Projectin Nicaragua this March made animpression so strong it hasinspired the focus of my Mastersthesis! I knew from CFCA ProjectCommittee Reports that our imple-menting partner, Centro Humboldt,was a very effective and those com-munities were getting access topotable water. However I did notrealize until I was there that the proj-ect was so holistic - addressing com-munity capacity, sanitation in abroad sense and offering simple solu-tions to health and environmentalchallenges. These issues are inter-twined and cannot be addressed inisolation – this I will take with meinto my studies! n

Water Project | Nicaragua

09PHOTOS: Water project, top, photo by Mirey Lopez

skills and confidence to create newopportunities and to build pathstowards those dreams.

I think this issue of BuildingBridges brings home how lucky weall are to be part of the Change forChildren community, mutuallyinspiring and guiding. People like EdCarson who has, for years, believedin the potential of this organization,young leaders from the South, likeCarmela; her counterparts here inCanada who annually bring theirenthusiasm and commitment toCFCA's Rural Roots program; part-ners like Paty and Amparo whoseskills and vision create rich opportu-nities where it may seem there arenone. n

10 PHOTOS by Nicole Owczarczyk

In Canada BY JAY SMITH - FREELANCE JOURNALIST, EDMONTON

Rural Roots Conference seeds social and environmental conciousness

opportunity to meet other youthwho, like her, are media literate andglobally engaged.

"A lot of kids are afraid of havingopinions. Kids at Rural Roots aren't.At school, when a controversial sub-ject comes up, a lot of kids automat-ically steer away from it becausethey're uncomfortable. At RuralRoots, kids are really up for discus-sion and debate." The atmosphere ofacceptance and intelligent debateremains her favourite part of theweekend.

"It's not like school where kidswill mock you because they think it'suncool to take a stand," she contin-ues. "And ultimately, in high school,everyone's concerned with being

"Different things matter to youafterwards," says Lacy Senio, grade11 student from Calmar and one ofthe keynote speakers at this year'sRural Roots Conference. As Senioattests, the annual conference hasgarnered an impressive reputation forits ability to seed social and environ-mental consciousness – not to men-tion a healthy dose of critical think-ing – in the minds of its participants.

"You don't change as a person,but your way of thinking changes,"she says. "If you open your eyes, theworld is as big as you make it. I don'thave to be from Calmar, Alberta. Ican be Lace Senio, citizen of theworld."

The theme of this year's confer-ence was "Shape Your World."Rather than meekly accepting socialand environmental injustices, theconference emphasized the power ofyouth to define their own world.Over ninety students from acrossAlberta travelled to Gull Lake overthe March 14th weekend for theevent. And, despite the conference'seponymous commitment to ruralyouth, it was also invaluable oppor-tunity for urban youth to find like-minded peers.

"Normal discussions with mypeers are lacking," says Becky Smith-Mandin, a grade 11 student fromEdmonton who attended her firstRural Roots conference this year. Shereadily admits that the major appealof going to Rural Roots was the

cool because it's high school.""It's nice to have adults treating us

like intelligent humans instead oftrouble makers."

Change Your LensPerceiving the intelligence and

creativity capacity of today's youth isthe idea behind the Rural Roots“Change Your Lens” training thatJaro Malanowski's facilitated. A four-day primer on creating media withinone's own community that tookplace in February, the workshop pre-sented its creations at this year's con-ference. The eight youth hailed fromdiverse parts of Alberta, fromEaglesham and Goodfish LakeReserve to Lethbridge, Calgary, and

Shape Your World

If you open your eyes,the world is as big asyou make it.– Lace Senio, Calmar

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venues for young people to have theirstories made, at a quality that can beshared internationally." Malanowskihopes that the films made in thisyear's Change Your Lens will be sentto international film festivals.

Local EmpowermentWhile Malanowski's work directs

youth toward the possibility of inter-national audiences, Teresa Bryanton,a social studies teacher living inInnisfail, raves about how RuralRoots also empowers youth at thelocal level.

In her community – like many –Bryanton says, "To care about [socialjustice and environmental issues] isnot the norm. The norm is to play

Edmonton, and thoroughlyimpressed the inveterate filmmaker.

Malanowski says that the youth,mostly between grades eight andeleven were "pretty young but totallyamazing... I might just hire themdown the road for other produc-tions." During "Shape Your World,"Malanowski and his participantsshowed the two films they made inthe workshop, both of which consid-ered environmental issues.

"We're in a really interesting timeright now because there's a hugenumber of specialty channels. In aneight-hundred-channel universe,with content twenty-four hours aday, three hundred and sixty-fivedays a year, there are so many more

guitar hero, to play sports, not tolook outside the box. "

The effect of Rural Roots on herstudents, according to Bryanton, isastounding. "It was pretty amazingto see the difference in them. ... Iunderstand what it's like to be ablack sheep and care about differentthings than other kids in the school.It was really nice for the kids to bearound others ... who are passionateabout the same things."

Immediately after returning fromthe conference, the students made anappointment with the principal oftheir school to implement changes."They asked if they could put milkjugs in the toilets at school in orderto save water," says Bryanton. Theyalso distributed stickers remindingstudents about Earth Hour, the eventon the 28th of March that aimed toeliminate energy usage for one hour."They also got permission from theprincipal to turn off the lights all dayon the 27th, and most of the teach-ers agreed to do it."

The students are also brainstorm-ing holding a concert that will bene-fit an as-yet-undetermined charity,and intend to host the members ofthe Walk for Darfur as they marchtheir way through the province.

"It's just so good to see. I'm thegung-ho activist teacher. But afterthey come back from the conference,they realise I'm not the crazy one,that it's for real." n

””

Mural LaunchFriday, June 20, 20082:00 pm at St. Angela's ElementarySchool (13430-132A Street)With refreshments, celebration,speakers and music.

Annual General MeetingSaturday, June 21, 200811:00 am at St. Angela's ElementarySchool (13430-132A Street)Bylaws will be amended and votedon at the AGM. Proposed changesare on the website or available bycontacting Change for Children.

Special General MeetingAugust 14, 20087:00 pm at the Change for ChildrenAssociation officeFor approval of the audited financial statements.

CFC EVENTS

Doors at 7pm, Program 8pm – midnightHighlights: Nicaraguan guests,Child Rights Mural Project info, and Gallo Pinto KitchenPerformances by Bill Bourne, Le Fuzz,Andrea House, Quetzala Carson,Cunningham Family Band, and more!

Tix $20 adult, $10 youth/low income Available at CFCA office (can call with credit card)

pain

ting

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A Change for Children Fundraisercelebrating the commitmentand community shared betweenAlberta and Nicaragua

Friday June 6, 2008Ukrainian Hall (11018-97 St)

Canadian Publication Agreement #40050574

Change for Children Association10808 –124 Street, 2nd FloorEdmonton, AB, T5M 0H3