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MAR Talks: Mending a Crack in the Sky

Sat, Jul 06

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Online Event

Join us for MAR Talks: Mending A Crack In The Sky- a conversation about Somali-Canadian Mother's mobilizing against gun violence

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MAR Talks:  Mending a Crack in the Sky
MAR Talks:  Mending a Crack in the Sky

Time & Location

Jul 06, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PDT

Online Event

About the Event

Welcome to MAR Talks: Mending A Crack In The Sky: Samoli- Canadian Mothers Mobilizing Against Gun Violence

MAR is honoured to have Shamso Elmi and David Adkin to discuss their upcoming documentary " Mending A Crack In The Sky"- a documentary about a determined group of 150 Somali-Canadian mothers in northwest Toronto who are fighting to end a tragic 18-year crisis of shootings and violence that has taken the lives of their own sons and many other young Somali men and boys across Canada.

Inspired by a traditional Somali proverb which says even the most impossible problem can be solved if people work together, the women call themselves the "Mending a Crack in the Sky" mothers.

The women - many of them escaping only with their children - fled a deadly civil war in Somalia, arriving as refugees to Canada in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They believed that Canada would be a safe place for their children to grow and prosper. Instead, the discriminatory treatment and barriers to settlement they encountered from immigration and government officials, landlords and employers, as well as the education system, police, and justice system which criminalized young black Somali boys and youth, made it clear to the refugees that they and their children were less than welcome in their new land. The mothers watched in horror as a new, made-in-Canada nightmare of gun violence and killings erupted and spread among the angry, alienated sons of their community. ~ From "Mending a Crack in The Sky" Kickstarter.

Link here: Mending a Crack in the Sky by David Adkin — Kickstarter

We will be live on Zoom, July 6th at 10 AM PST.

Please join us as we learn, empathize and embrace the brave work of these Somali Canadian Mothers.

Meet Shamso Elmi:

Born and raised in Mogadishu, Shamso Elmi is a Somali-Canadian community leader, filmmaker, and activist in Hamilton, Ontario and mother of seven boys. She is one of the many Somali refugees who came to Canada in the late 1980s/early 90s fleeing civil war in Somali to find a safe country to raise her children. When her son Hussein was killed in Vancouver in 2015, Shamso started the "Mending a Crack in the Sky" support group for mothers of sons who have been killed by gun violence here in Canada. She is currently co-directing and producing a feature documentary film on this subject with David Adkin, due to premiere this November.

Meet David Adkin:

David Adkin is a professional documentary film director, producer, writer, and editor based in Toronto, Canada with 30+ years experience in the film, television, educational, and media arts sectors. His films, which focus largely on social justice issues, have screened at major international festivals, won awards, and been broadcast across Canada (CBC, Global, Bravo), the USA (HBO, PBS) and abroad. David is proud to co-direct and produce Mending a Crack in the Sky with longtime friend and filmmaking collaborator, Shamso Elmi.

Samples of David's work can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/channels/davidadkin

MAR Talks Event Link / How to Join 

Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email and reminder emails for the event. Use the Zoom link in your reminder emails to join the event on the day.

A recording of the event will be sent to attendees and may be made available on our social media channels at a later date.

Thank you to our Funder!

We are so grateful to be running another year of MAR Talks funded by the Government of Canada (Financé par le gouvernement du Canada). MAR Talks brings our members and our greater community the opportunity to explore intersecting topics of anti-racism, inclusion and advocacy from the perspective of BIPOC leaders, change makers and inspiring public figures. We are grateful for the opportunity to share these talks as a catylyst for deeper education and learning.

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