Stories of Reconciliation in Kingston’s Inner Harbour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – MAY 27^TH, 2016

KAIROS MASS BLANKET EXERCISE: Thursday July 7^th, 5:30-8:00PM in Douglas Fluhrer Park

A public activity designed to build understanding and reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous communities is coming to Kingston’s Inner Harbour this summer. The interactive learning experience covers 500 years of history in 90 minutes – it is easy to understand, yet impossible to forget.

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise puts participants in the role of Indigenous Peoples in Canada starting from first contact. Scrolls and cards are distributed with instructions that ultimately determine their circumstances and outcomes. It was first conceived by Indigenous youth organization Assembly of Seven Generations and developed with the support of KAIROS. This summer’s Blanket Exercise in Kingston is hosted by PeaceQuest, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour (FKIH), and Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre (FDASC).

“We weren’t taught this history in school” says Vanessa McCourt, Aboriginal Advisor at FDASC, “but it needs to be learned today in order for us to understand each other and start on the path of reconciliation.”

The experience ends with a debriefing session and talking circle in which participants have the opportunity to discuss the experience as a group.

“As we (FKIH) are dedicated to supporting the communities and environment around Kingston’s Inner Harbour, we value connecting with each other in a way that includes and strengthens us all. “reports Mary Farrar, President of FKIH, “Participating in the Blanket Exercise was a deeply moving experience for me and I’m humbled to be a part of sharing it with others.”

Mass Blanket Exercises are taking place across Canada throughout the spring and early summer as part of the KAIROS Winds of Change Campaign.

For more information, please contact:

About PeaceQuest:

PeaceQuest is a non-profit, non-denominational, and non-partisan organization based in Kingston, Ontario that supports and facilitates peace-building initiatives across Canada.