In the history books, 2016 will probably be looked at as the year a resurgent conservatism/isolationism pushed back against openness, diversity
and inclusion. With Britain voting to leave the European Union, the U.S. voting into office a candidate who campaigned with divisive rhe-
toric and other countries facing rising populist sentiments, it has reached the point where The Economist called Canada a heartening exception to the “depressing company of wall-builders, door-slammers and drawbridge-raisers.”

The magazine went on to remind its global readers that Canada’s tolerance and openness are “wellsprings of security and prosperity, not threats to them.” That sentiment is something Canadians are blessed and fortunate enough to experience first-hand.

Here in Vancouver, people benefit and prosper from our diversity. Our nonprofits and volunteers help newcomers to lead productive lives. New-
comers enrich our cultural fabric by hosting cultural events and crafting art for all in the community to enjoy. Our youth improve the social and environmental wellbeing of our city. And most of all, everyone comes together to celebrate and honour the best in each other.

Writer Edwine Veniat knew our diversity makes us special. As she wrote six months before The Economist, “This city managed to turn our differences into assets. Vancouver is strong and multicultural. Vancouver knows it, and, with pride, is boasting about it. And rightly so, because it succeeds where the rest of the world fails.”

Here at The Source Newspaper,
one of our goals is to promote cultural harmony among our city’s diverse communities by publishing stories about the lived experiences and efforts of our multicultural population who make our community, country and world a better place to live. Stories can empower by humanizing our multicultural community’s experiences,
challenges and successes, celebrating our differences and recognizing our shared humanity. Let’s take a look back at some of this year’s stories.

Back in January, writer Susan Hancock explored how non-profit
organizations help newcomers settle down and create connections in our community. Through settlement programs like youth outreach, volunteer training and outreach assistance, newcomers
are able to gain work experience, find affordable accommodation and develop a sense of
belonging. She spoke with Bangladeshi newcomer Tanvir Hossain who came to Canada to find a place to call home. Hossain related how volunteering at a cat sanctuary not only gave him experience and an employment reference, but also opportunities to make new friends and learn about Canadian culture.

Lending help to all who come our way

In August, writer Cherrie Lam examined recent efforts to improve language learning as a means to facilitate cross-cultural exchange and language preservation. New media technologies like digital voice recordings, ultrasound and mobile apps can be use to preserve the syntax of a language, but also its semantics, pronunciation guides, and ancient meanings and traditions. Face-to-face exchange programs also enables participants to overcome social isolation and appreciate the myriad cultures that make up our city. With these stories,
Hancock and Lam remind us these programs and initiatives are important projects towards maintaining and sustaining a diverse multicultural population.

We also looked at the lives and work of Vancouverites who have prospered and contributed to our city’s wellbeing. In April, writer Naomi Tse interviewed Kevin Kimoto, one of the co-founders of Uproot, a zero-waste, wood-salvaging social venture. Motivated by a desire to reduce our city’s ecological footprint, Kimoto and his colleagues work with recycling organizations to repurpose end-of-life wood products into various projects such as large art installations and practical everyday items.

Writer Janmie Gunawardena, in May, profiled Tesicca Truong, who has been recognized and awarded for her efforts to promote urban sustainability. She organized several conferences and educational and policy initiatives, such as Plan-It Earth and Youth4Tap, creating a vision of a green global city which has earned the attention of civic leaders. Kimoto and Truong’s efforts remind us that many of our youth are upstanding environmental stalwarts with strong senses of civic duty, giving us hope that our ecological habitat is in good hands.

In March, writer Florence Hwang profiled the lives of three entrepreneurial women who, after coming to Canada and making a name for themselves in their respective fields, devote their time encouraging and mentoring others. Iranian-Canadian engineer Fariba Pacheleh hosts leadership events inspiring and helping women to become leaders in science and technology fields. Punjabi Word Television executive producer Jaswant Johal uses her connections in media to foster Indo-Canadian women events. Maggie Ip founded S.U.C.C.E.S.S., an organization dedicated to helping immigrants settle successfully in Canada. In profiling these women, Hwang showed us how Canadian immigrants can make an impact in their careers and in the community at large.

In contrast to how divisive the rest of the world is becoming, Vancouver’s diversity feels unique and special, yet commonplace. Our own writers re-discovered their appreciation for the way of life we enjoy here. Writer Jake McGrail, in the course of going out and researching, visiting and interviewing our diverse community, wrote about how our cultural mosaic allows everyone to express themselves freely. Writer Hadrien Rivayrand noted
that our city has normalized and embraced diversity in a way other places have not. And writer Sandra Zimmerman appreciated that people in Vancouver, whatever their roots, are welcoming, accepting and unprejudiced. “[I] realized that this city has one of the greatest gifts to offer: Vancouver gives you the freedom to be yourself,” she says.

Indeed, we must never be complacent and never take our diversity
for granted. As we head into 2017, our mission at The Source Newspaper has never been more clear: to continue to recognize, celebrate and cherish the stories of multicultural Vancouver. Have an amazing December everyone and see you all in the new year!