news

Hip-Hop Musical Connects Human Rights Education to 30,000 Youth in Schools Across Canada

Oct. 17, 2005. Toronto – Music has the power to motivate and educate youth - empowering musicians to influence youth intrinsically. Facilitated by Canadian non-profit organization The 411 Initiative For Change (411), young Canadian musicians and educators are using their music as a medium to provide human rights legal education to high school students within the academic system to empower youth to become active members of the global community. This highly effective program is delivered via the successful musical “The Barbershop Show”, and will reach 30,000 youth in rural and urban centers across Canada as part of a national concert tour into high schools between Oct 17 – Dec 9, 2005. The production blurs the lines between concert and hip-hop musical by using contemporary music to interest youth on issues which affect their peers internationally including conflict and armed violence, poverty, education, violence against women and girls, refugees and discrimination.

“This program affords Canadian youth with the opportunity to learn about the experiences of young people around the world faced with common realities which have shaped the lives of their classmates and neighbor’s who are immigrants and refugees,” explains Anita Wong, 411 Director of Programs. “Many of the issues discussed on armed conflict, violence against women and girls, and child poverty frame the lives of many Canadian youth – addressing these issues promotes increased understanding.”

The production features powerful songstress Melanie Durrant, whose performance challenges abuse and violence against women in our communities, as well as discussing the importance of equal access to education for all children. Hip-hop artist Shohn Boothe (Rikoshay) uses his music to explore the effects of poverty on children around the world and explores how youth can live responsibly to protect the human rights of their peers. The production is hosted by music industry veteran and former professor on hip-hop culture Will Strickland and features a variety of poets Dwayne Morgan and Equinox 199 who discuss the realities of being a refugee and experience of children in armed conflict and wars. The production originally developed by won-by-one Records, revolves around the atmosphere of an urban barbershop – using skits and songs to introduce discussion related to human rights education. Following the performance, the musicians interact with the students in discussion sessions and challenge youth to take an active role in their collective futures while encouraging them to develop their own individual forms of self-expression through art or action. Drawing from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this program provides the platform for academic discussion and curriculum support to teachers to introduce human rights education, and its supporting legal instruments, into the classroom.

“411 school programs motivate youth to work individually and collectively to effect change in their communities in Canada and globally,” comments Ms. Wong. “We provide support, networks and resources to strengthen young people’s projects and ideas through our online community (www.whatsthe411.ca).”

The 411 Initiative For Change works on development projects aiming for viable long-term impacts through bridging education, arts, culture and heritage to social development. 411’s 'Best Practice': Youth Teaching Youth - Using Music as an Educational Tool for Empowerment and Civic Education, has been nominated for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Excellence for it’s ‘best practice’ in diversity management and towards combating discrimination in schools over 30 schools in Ontario.

The unique nature of The 411 Initiative For Change’s model of using artists and music as key agents in social change – from within the education system, demonstrates innovative, timely and effective response to the growing need to practice sustainable models for social development.

- 30 -

Performances open only to members of the media in the following cities: Toronto, Guelph, London, Kitchener, Windsor, Ottawa, North Bay, Sudbury, Barrie, Huntsville, Charlottetown, Halifax, Calgary and Winnipeg.

Contact:
Tamara Dawit, Executive Director (416) 473-3595