The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-08-12, Page 27Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - Page A27
'Jntertainment
Rural girls group speaks at UN
Pam Hanington is taking the
power of experience to the United
Nations next week, hoping that
what helped change the lives of
young women in Goderich will do
the same for other women around
the world.
Hanington is an educator and
community developer in Goder-
ich and a researcher with the Uni-
versity of Guelph's Rural Women
Making Change project. She
spoke Aug. 6, in New York City
at a gathering of the UN's Youth
Assembly.
"The invitation from the United
Nations recognizes the work Ru-
ral Women Making Change is do-
ing, and it also recognizes that the
economic challenges facing rural
women in Ontario are not that
different from those around the
world," says Harington.
"Poverty is poverty, no mat-
ter where you are. Young women
face gender barriers everywhere,
whether it's in China or Africa or
right here in rural Ontario. Our
success helping girls in Goder-
ich with rural challenges, includ-
ing poverty has a lot to teach
the world and it's exciting to be
presenting our work to the UN's
Youth Assembly:"
Hanington's successful "GU -
RAL" program at a high school
in Goderich focused on giving
at -risk young women a chance to
get involved in hands-on projects
designed to help them deal with
and overcome economic disad-
vantages.
Some of the projects the GU -
RAL group have undertaken
over the past few years include
the GURAL 'zine (an alternative
magazine), the production of a 30
second PSA about sexual assault
prevention, "Respect" campaigns
at local high schools, a social en-
terprise project called "Calendar
Gurals" (which involved devel-
oping and selling a calendar with
photographs taken by girls and
young women) and participation
in community arts projects. More
than 100 area girls have part=ci-
pated in GURAL projects si.ice
2004.
As a result of Hanington's work
in Goderich, similar GURAL pro-
grams have started in Fort Albany
First Nation, Ontario, and Grande
Digue, New Brunswick.
"GURAL is all about empow-
ering young women, letting them
find and speak their Voice. It makes
a real difference in how they face
the challenges in their lives," say
Hanington. "There is a real global
concern for the success of rural
girls in poverty around the world
and I think that what we learned
in Goderich can change the lives
of women anywhere."
Rural Women Making Change
is a rural think tank based at the
University of Guelph which com-
bines academic research with
community-based work by ex-
perts such as Hanington. This is
RWMC's second invitation to the
United Nations. The group made
presentations on migrant workers
and rural poverty in November,
2008.
The UN Youth Assembly is an
annual gathering of young people
from around the world who seek
practical ways to contribute to the
achievement of the UN's Millen-
nium Development Goals, which
focus on eliminating poverty and
on breaking down gender barriers
for women.
Hanington, along with RWMC
co-ordinator Carolyn Pletsch and
researcher Wyanne Sandler, dis-
cussed the GURAL program at
the 6th Annual Youth Assembly,
which ran Aug. 5-7 at UN head-
quarters in New York.
and Emily Van Veghel
/
Friday,, , 7:30pm
Kincardine United Church- 721 Princes St., Kincardine, Ontario
FREE WILL DONATION
Join us for an evening of secular and sacred solos and duets.
T.
AND HIS FAMOUS STATESIDERS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19/09 -1rr
CENTENNIAL HALL = LONDON
Tickets available at
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Charge by Phone 519-672-1967
www.centennialhall.london.ca
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PANCAKE
BREAKFAST
Carlow Masonic Lodge
Saturday, August 15
Serving pancakes, eggs and sausage
from 8 to 11 a.m.
Adults $5.00
Proceeds for community events
110hONC1` '..///1
Hos: Mon. -- Fd. 9-9 Sat. 9-6
HWY#8, HURON ROAD 524-1673
Deadlines: Friday @ 2 p.m.
•
The Goderich Fire Department
would like to thank everyone that joined
us for our annual breakfast and the following
businesses and organizations that helped
make it a success:
• Coffee Culture • The Burger Bar
• Art's Landscaping • Lakeside Catering
• Zehrs
• 104.9 The Beach
• The Knights of Columbus
• Gardiner's Dairy
• The Kingsmen Club
• The Legion Branch 109
• The Town of Goderich
Parks Department
***************************
PSYCHIC FAIR
Thurs. Aug. 13 - Sun. Aug. 16
(Regular Mall Hours)
Suncoast Mali, Goderich
Hwy 21, South (Bayfield Rd.)
Peter & Christena return once
again to share their psychic insights,
providing caring and
dedicated readings.
www.enchantment.ca
1
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r
Huron Country Playhouse
GRAND BEND
EVTA
TM 1978 RSO Ltd.
A Nigh Flying, Adored Musical
Lyrics by TIM RICE
Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Directed dt Choreographed by MICHAEL LICHTEFELD
The beloved nu:teal cows to life on the 'rand lend
stage as it chromates the rlu and fall of Argenthia's
infamous Eva Peron. Join vs for a powerful
and riveting theatrical experience.
August 12 to August 29
Box Office: 519-238.6000
H,uoncouncryplayhouse corn
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