YMCA Peace Week is just around the corner! During Peace Week (Nov. 15-22). the YMCA host various peace-week events throughout the GTA, and awards Peace Medallions to outstanding individuals or groups who have made significant contributions towards creating peaceful communities at a local or global level.
If you know someone who has inspired change in others, spear-headed a specific cause or created positive change within their community, you can show them how much their work is appreciated by nominating them for a Peace Medallion! Past recipients have been peace activists, police officers, high school students, environmentalists, community groups and parents. Nominations close at noon on October 3, so fill out an application today!
Online Applications can either be sent in electronically, or by mail to:
Lee Fraser at YMCA of Greater Toronto
2200 Yonge Street, Suite 300
Toronto, ON
M4S 2C6
Here’s a look at our 2013 recipients:
Durham YMCA Peace Medallion - Alyssa Esparaz
Alyssa is a high school student and social justice advocate who has blogged about global initiatives including slavery, poverty and human rights since 2008. Alyssa volunteers for Compassion International, sponsoring children from across the globe to better their education and future. She is an active member of her church, participating in food drives, volunteering for overseas trips, gathering donations for AIDS victims in Africa, and sponsoring numerous children from around the world. Alyssa also founded Freedom Creations, a knitting business with 100% of the profit going to International Justice Mission, a human rights organization that fights modern-day slavery. She plans to study International Development in university, with the hopes of becoming a human rights lawyer or humanitarian aid worker.
Georgina YMCA Peace Medallion – Chief Donna Big Canoe and Detective Peter Duguay
Chief Donna Big Canoe of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations and Detective Peter Duguay of York Regional Police have formed a partnership that has successfully grown a positive community of trust. Both parties have facilitated regular meetings between the Band Council, the Executive Command Team and 3 District Command, including an annual picnic. These gatherings work to enhance mutual respect and communication between the groups. For instance, one of the Chippewa elders named a police Marine Unit vessel by one of the Chippewa elders.
Markham YMCA Peace Medallion - Janani Thillainathan
As a high school student, Janani Thillainathan founded the Aboriginal Youth Partnership (AYP), an organization to raise awareness of aboriginal issues, end stereotypes, and educate the community about aboriginal culture. Janani's interest in the cause began after hearing of a hunger strike to raise awareness around aboriginal issues. Wanting to educate herself further, Janani gathered enough like-minded peers together to demonstrate a serious level of interest, which lead to the school officially creating an aboriginal studies course. AYP raised $400 to bring laptops into aboriginal reserve classrooms through a partnership with One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). Janani has also served on the Markham Youth Council for the past year, raised money for the Markham Stouffville Hospital and created an annual school 3-on-3 basketball tournament to benefit Kids Help Phone.
Peel YMCA Peace Medallion – Rose Streete
Rose Streete founded Mother’s Anonymous, an organization which aims to bring an end to youth violence, create harmonious communities and teach effective communication skills/tactics. From providing support to young offenders to ensuring MPs are alerted to the issues of violence in their communities, Mother’s Anonymous has become a well-known organization in Peel Region. Ruth has conducted research into the roots of youth conflict in Peel. She has also worked with the Peel HIV/AIDS network and the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), speaking about the injustices women face in relation to HIV. Ruth has inspired many, including young women, to speak out on issues impacting their communities.
Richmond Hill YMCA Peace Medallion - Inspector Ricky Veerappan, York Regional Police
Inspector Ricky Veerappan has been a member of York Regional Police for 26 years, working in the Diversity and Cultural Resources Bureau, school safety education and community services. Since 2004, he has volunteered hundreds of hours to the York Region Adopt a Mission Jamaican Project, an organization which brings aid to the Missionaries of the Poor orphanage in Kingston, Jamaica. Inspector Veerappan has covered his own costs numerous times to travel to Jamaica, where he has assisted in constructing a retaining wall close to the orphanage, fundraising and installation of 21 solar panels, and building a pig-pen to house pigs that are used for food in the community. The addition of the solar panels allowed the orphanage to go from one light for three hours each day, to 24-hour electricity. The York Regional Police have received support from local and international community groups as a result of Inspector Veerappan’s volunteerism.
