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Past INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL / MYSEUM INTERSECTIONS 2021 / Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action

MYSEUM INTERSECTIONS 2021

Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action

An exhibition and installation that brings together interviews, documents, photographs, video footage and untold stories of the 2008-2009 Toronto human rights protests against the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka.


 

LAUNCH EVENT

Join us for the Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action official launch event. This event will be a panel discussion reflecting on the 2008-2009 intergenerational demonstrations that mobilized Toronto’s Tamil community; a scale of which Toronto had never seen before. During the launch, you will hear from speakers who were organizers and active participants of those protests.

The event will be the launch event for the Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action online web-based exhibit, and give attendees an inside look at the physical exhibit, which is on display at the Fort York Visitors Centre. The exhibit tells the stories of the Tamil Canadian protests in 2009 that brought together tens of thousands of protesters to Downtown Toronto to bring attention to the Genocidal War that was taking place in Sri Lanka.

AN ARCHIVE OF ACTION EXHIBITION

Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action is an exhibition and installation that brings together interviews, documents, photographs, video footage and untold stories of the 2008-2009 Toronto human rights protests against the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka.

Mobilized by members of the Tamil Canadian community, these demonstrations brought together tens of thousands of protesters during the months of September 2008 to June 2009, culminating notably in the Gardiner Expressway blockade.

This project is organized by the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action in collaboration with Neethan Shan, Thevya Balendran and Hiba Abdallah
Community exhibit facilitation provided by Hiba Abdallah.


PANELISTS/ PRESENTERS

Neethan Shan, Hiba Abdallah, Thevya Balendran, and Gana Arumugam aka Ninaivukal (bio under the Project Partner section below).

Angela Regnier was the Executive Director of the University of Toronto Students’ Union from 2008-2011 and at the time of the mass Tamil demonstrations in 2009. She spent over a decade involved in student organizing and international solidarity across Canada. She currently works in the labour movement organizing health care workers in Alberta. Angela is currently the Past-President of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women.

Carolyn Egan is president of the United Steelworkers Toronto Area Council and on the executive board of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council. She is Co-Chair of the Good Jobs for All Coalition and has worked for many years in the women’s movement in this city.

Rajeevan Sathiyaseelan, better known by his stage name Tha Prophecy (Born October 6th 1988) is a Canadian recording artist, rapper, songwriter, percussionist and music producer. He was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to the musical family of singer and music composer Senthooran Alagia and grandson of stage performer and percussionist A.K Alagia.

Tha Prophecy first gained international exposure with the release of his first single “I Have a Dream” (2009) which quickly earned him respect among critics as a great lyricist and a passionate artist with powerful delivery. With the success of his first single he later went on to co found one of the most recognized and respected independent record labels in Toronto (Freedom Recordz Entertainment) which later split in 2011 due to creative differences. Tha Prophecy continued to make progress and positive changes with his music amongst his community and peers by releasing songs that touched upon sensitive topics that inspired youth around the world. “Dear Momma”(2010) was a song written by Tha Prophecy dedicated to single mothers around the world struggling to provide in today’s society. “The Final Chapter”(2010) was another notable song written by Tha Prophecy which was released to raise awareness about global warming and won the best music video award at the CTYA film festival (2011). His dedication and work ethics also won him the award for best Urban Music at the top talents awards Gala in (2010).

In 2012 Tha Prophecy made headlines by collaborating with Indian film score, soundtrack composer and singer Yuvan Shankar Raja for rapping the theme song for the motion picture Aadhi baghavan directed by Ameer Sultan.

Vel Velauthapillai, board of director at Tamil Genocide Memorial (www.tamilgenocide.com). Software Engineer by profession and live in Ottawa. Community activist and held different roles at several Tamil community organizations and Canadian political parties.

Aranee Murugananthan is currently the Director of People, Operations, and Culture at King Ursa a Toronto-based Ad-Tech Agency. She was someone who was heavily involved in the Tamil Movement for over a decade.

Yathusha Selvarajah is an Undergraduate student, soon to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree. She has volunteered with the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action for the Inaugural Thiyagi Thileepan Food Drive and currently volunteering as a social media content creator with Coalition 104.

Priyanth Na An Eelam Tamil who actively participated in 2009 protests and a former spokesperson of TYO-Canada, Priyanth completed his public policy degree at Ryerson university to understand the role of Canadian public policy in relation to international politics. During his years in university, Priyanth overhauled the constitution and logo of york university Tamil student association to better serve the Political aspiration of Eelam Tamils and was also the Vice President of finance and services at Continuing education students association at Ryerson. Priyanth also volunteered with lifeline Syria during the Syrian refugee crisis helping with the settlement of Syrian refugees in Canada. He has worked with all three major canadian political parties and was a councillor candidate for the 2017 Toronto city council elections in Toronto.

Over a decade of Tamil political activism and passion for public policy led Priyanth to choose the field of Canadian immigration. Recognizing the barriers faced by immigrants and the lack of awareness when it came to canadian immigration, Priyanth actively educates people on all platforms regarding canadian immigration and promoting safer pathways to Canada.

He currently manages Alpha Abroad canadian immigration services, an immigration firm focused on simplifying canadian immigration for people around the world.


PROJECT PARTNERS

Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action’s mission is to work towards the success of all Tamil Canadians in the social, political, economic and cultural spheres of Canada through education, documentation, engagement, training, mobilization, research, policy change and collaboration.

Neethan Shan, currently Executive Director of Urban Alliance on Race Relations, is a former Toronto City Councillor and Toronto District School Board Trustee for Scarborough—Rouge River. From 2006-2010 he was also elected as a York Region District School Board Trustee. Neethan Shan began his career as a Youth Outreach Worker in Malvern. Neethan went on to become a manager for youth programs in Malvern, where he developed and implemented over twenty programs in many different schools. He has served as a Math and Science teacher, a youth outreach worker, college professor, and is the former Executive Director of CanTYD and of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians. Neethan’s extensive involvement in the social services sector also includes work with Parent Action on Drugs, Malvern Community Coalition, Community Use of Schools Council, and Scarborough Youth Task Force, just to name a few organizations. Neethan Shan has a distinguished human rights advocacy record, receiving many awards including the Race Relations Award from the Urban Alliance for Race Relations and the Vital People Award from the Toronto Community Foundation. As a Toronto City Councillor, Neethan was Toronto’s Youth Equity Champion and Newcomer Advocate.

Ninaivukal is a Tamil word that means “ Memories.” Ninaivukal started as an online web portal medium in 2008 to document the lifestyle and expression of Tamils in Greater Toronto Area. The Unity of the Tamil Community and their determination to stand for their political views are some of the key moments captured by Ninaivukal. Ninaivukal Magazine publications came to reality in 2011 as an annual publication. We capture any moments as large as gatherings at Rogers Centre to open ground events. For almost a decade, Ninaivukal has become an integral part of the Tamil Community in the GTA.

Hiba Abdallah, is an artist and organizer who frequently works with others. Her practice explores locality, civic resilience and political structures as tools for fostering collaborative agency. She received her BFA from the University of Windsor in 2012 and her MFA from the University of Guelph in 2017. She currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.

Thevya Balendran is an Eelam Tamil community organizer based in Toronto and Advocacy Officer for Canada at PEARL (People for Equality and Relief in Lanka). She holds a Bachelor in Sociology and Minor in Politics from Ryerson University and a graduate certificate in International Development. Through her work with PEARL, she engages in advocacy and knowledge-mobilization on human rights issues concerning the Tamil homeland. Her interest lies in exploring themes of displacement, identity, and survival in diaspora and racialized communities.


In partnership with:

 City of Toronto logo


Images of Resistance: An Archive of Action

10 Apr 2021 –
18 May 2021

Filed under:
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