TakingITGlobal

17 TA K INGI TGLOBA L | A N N UA L R EPORT 2016 During 2016, TakingITGlobal continued our partnership with the Samuel Family Foundation in order to develop and grow the global movement on overcoming social isolation. As a core partner, TakingITGlobal has been involved in building the movement through the website, technical support to enhance the user experience of SocialConnectedness.org. In addition, TakingITGlobal has continued to create and curate content for the website and social media, which included 48 articles in 2016. Devin is from Tla'amin First Nation, a small community in British Columbia. She is especially passionate about language revitalization and is working on a number of projects to support this and traditional community mapping. She also hosts workshops back home teaching about the history of colonization and the impacts on Indigenous communities. In 2015, TakingITGlobal was introduced to Devin through her contributions to the Indigenous Youth Advisory Circle's Idea Book. Since then, Devin has been a guest speaker for Connected North and has attended National Youth Leadership and Innovation Strategy Summit in Toronto in 2016. In October of 2016, TakingITGlobal invited Devin to attend the Symposium on Overcoming Isolation and Deepening Social Connectedness as a way to support her by connecting her with other Indigenous youth passionate about overcoming similar issues related to isolation. digital youth engagement HTTPS://W W W.SOCIALCONNECTEDNESS.ORG In the fall of 2016, TakingITGlobal helped advance the social connectedness movement by co-developing and participating in the Global Symposium on Overcoming Social Isolation and Deepening Social Connectedness. Convening in Montreal, Quebec, over 100 key thinkers, activists and community leaders from over 23 countries gathered at the Symposium. During this Symposium, TakingITGlobal in partnership with the Samuel Family Foundation and McGill University, hosted 'An Evening of Creativity and Artistic Reflections on Belonging'. The night brought together people from diverse backgrounds to share in various forms of artistic expression that encouraged feelings of belonging and inclusion. In follow up to the 2016 Symposium, TakingITGlobal plans to visit other core partners of the movement to further develop and support its growth. During the Symposium, Devin had the opportunity to connect with people from 23 countries including, Congo, Uganda, Sweden, and Peru. This left an impact on her as she was able to meet "people who want to make this world a better place and [understand] that we are not alone and that people outside of the communities we live in can care about us too". Devin now says that during the symposium it hit her that "all Indigenous people face the same struggles. All Indigenous people have the same core values. We all love and respect the land we come from." She also added, "I will never forget the beautiful souls I have met. What an honour to say I have friends across North America and the whole world. My main goal now is to be fluent like the youth that have crossed my path. It was so beautiful to see them laughing and joking in their own language. I hope to see you all again someday! Cheh cheh ha thetch".

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