"Caring for Community" Human Library

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Consultation has concluded

Listen, learn and engage with stories from some of the human 'books' on our collective community library shelf. You can check them out at the Human Library at Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch on September 27th 2023.

What is the Human Library?

Human Libraries are a chance to talk to people one-on-one about their experiences.

The first Human Library was launched in Denmark in 2000, with the goal of combating violence and creating dialogue between different groups within the community. It has grown in popularity with dozens of events of its kind taking place around the world every year.

Here's how it works:

  • Come to the Main Branch on Wednesday September 27th 2023
  • The event will take place between 11 am and 3 pm
  • The branch will have a list of Human Books available
  • You, the Reader, can 'borrow' a book for a 20 minute conversation
  • Books are available on a first-come first-served basis

Get to know several individuals dedicated to making Ottawa’s communities healthy, safe and inclusive and whose profession is connected to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB Plan)’s six priorities.

The goal of the plan is to create a sustainable community where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging, has access to services, and can meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression.

The human books will take you on a journey of inspiring efforts in the Ottawa community to build a strong community for all. Gender equity. Mental health. Financial security. Gender-based violence prevention and support. Rent supplements. Integrated systems. Discrimination. We hope through this initiative you will learn more about existing services and how to access them.

Why a human library?

The Caring for Community travelling photo exhibit and the human library initiatives contribute to one of the priorities of the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan, Integrated and Simpler Systems.

One of this priority's objectives is to improve access to services by adapting communications to be more understandable and accessible to the community. The exhibit was conceived to respond to the needs of the residents, highlighted in recent consultations and summarized in What We Heard reports. Common themes from participants included:

  • the need for centralized directories that contain information on access to services
  • the importance of using alternative communications channels and making resources accessible to those who do not have the means to access the information via the Internet
  • the importance of continuous public engagement to report back to the community on progress against targets
  • and the need to go into neighborhoods rather than expecting residents to come to services.

The books

Two public servants finding collective solutions to homelessness and mental health

Jessica and Kent are members of the small but mighty Community Engagement Team. Every day they walk city streets. They engage with housed and unhoused residents. Listen to people they meet. Learn about their challenges and concerns. Build relationships of respect, understanding and care.

We engage the entire community. We connect unhoused residents with the resources they need: shelter, employment, meals, recreation and healthcare. We educate housed residents on homelessness, drug use and other things the community might not understand or might be afraid of. We reduce blame, we break stigma.

A teacher fighting racism with education

Rajen is at the heart of efforts to make Ottawa a more inclusive place for everyone to live, work and play. A social justice educator, he advises the City on anti-racism practices. He also helps build this awareness into the City’s strategies, policies and plans. These issues feel close to him. In his life he experienced discrimination himself. He believes that empathy and understanding are the answers to racism. He talks to people. Asks questions. Listens deeply.

We fight racism with education. It’s our best tool. That’s what we all need.

Good neighbours bringing programs and services closer to the residents who need them

Rita is a case worker at the Catherine Street Community Service Hub. Javier is a community development coordinator working for the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team. They have one mission in common: to help people understand and access a complex web of government and community services. Javier and the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team promote programs and services in the community. Rita helps residents navigate the system from the Catherine Street Community Service Hub.

Some people that come to see us are struggling through their darkest times. They’re happy to have someone to connect with, address their concerns and direct them to the right services.

Two social workers with a passion for mental well-being

“Thank you for talking.” “I went to school today.” “She is still alive.” These may be simple words to some. For Andrea and Natasha, these are small victories that make their jobs worthwhile. They both work for 1Call1Click.ca, a service that connects children, youth and families with the right mental health, substance use services and care when they need it. Andrea and Natasha show up, day in and day out, determined to give their community what it needs. And the need has never been greater.

Everyone has had difficult times. It’s okay not to be okay. And it is ok to ask for help.

Two residents helping Black entrepreneurs succeed

Kenneth and Gelila work at Jaku Konbit in Ottawa. He is the President and she is the Youth Assistant Administrator. The not-for-profit offers a Black Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program. Young people in this program get the tools that help them turn their aspirations into viable businesses. Kenneth and Gelila create opportunities. They help break down barriers to entrepreneurship. They help make the connections. They make information accessible. They make it easier for Ottawa’s youth to become successful entrepreneurs.

A lot of these youth aspire to business, but they struggle to take it to the next level. Our entrepreneur program provides them what they need to do so.

The Executive Director of an 2SLGBTQ+ serving organization

2SLGBTQ+ serving organizations play essential roles in combating sexual and gender-based violence. Carling Miller is the Executive Director of Kind Space, a community centre which celebrates people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. For Carling, Kind Space has always been a place where she felt cared for, respected and listened to. It is a safe space. It is a place for accessible resources, events, social and educational programming.

It is a space where you feel you belong, clean, open, full of laughter, food, people. Here, you can feel ok.

A woman fighting gender-based violence

Zahra works for Unsafe at Home, an organization providing survivors of gender-based violence with emotional support, safety plans, resources and referrals through a confidential and secure chat service, free to use and available online or via text. The service was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsafe at Home enables women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Ottawa and Lanark County to raise their voices and be heard.

A community leader dedicated to strengthening the mental well-being of the African, Caribbean and Black community in Ottawa

Nuradiin is a project officer with Ottawa Public Health. One project he sees as a real response to the needs of their communities is Stigma: The Power of Language. Community leaders rely on the knowledge and skills they gain through this initiative to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and strengthen resilience.The leaders are also able to show people where they can find help right in their neighbourhoods.

I grew up in the communities I serve. There is a natural connection between us. I know what they need. I love helping people and making a difference in my community.

A Yemeni doctor advocating for race and gender equity at the City of Ottawa

Dr. Sawsan Al Refaei is an expert in Public Policy and Advocacy in the areas of anti-racism, and gender equity and equality, diversity and inclusion. Her passion for women's rights started in Yemen where she comes from. She is a member of the Yemen Pact for Peace and Security, a Yemeni women movement working on women & security issues. She is also an ex-officio member in the City for All Women Initiative (CAWI). Sawsan is now leading the implementation of the Anti-Racism and Women and Gender-Equity Strategies at the City of Ottawa.

We can’t have high-quality services without gender equity. Thankfully, I can see the fruits of my work every day.

For more information on the human books and their stories, visit the CSWB Plan – Caring for Community website.

Listen, learn and engage with stories from some of the human 'books' on our collective community library shelf. You can check them out at the Human Library at Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch on September 27th 2023.

What is the Human Library?

Human Libraries are a chance to talk to people one-on-one about their experiences.

The first Human Library was launched in Denmark in 2000, with the goal of combating violence and creating dialogue between different groups within the community. It has grown in popularity with dozens of events of its kind taking place around the world every year.

Here's how it works:

  • Come to the Main Branch on Wednesday September 27th 2023
  • The event will take place between 11 am and 3 pm
  • The branch will have a list of Human Books available
  • You, the Reader, can 'borrow' a book for a 20 minute conversation
  • Books are available on a first-come first-served basis

Get to know several individuals dedicated to making Ottawa’s communities healthy, safe and inclusive and whose profession is connected to the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB Plan)’s six priorities.

The goal of the plan is to create a sustainable community where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging, has access to services, and can meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression.

The human books will take you on a journey of inspiring efforts in the Ottawa community to build a strong community for all. Gender equity. Mental health. Financial security. Gender-based violence prevention and support. Rent supplements. Integrated systems. Discrimination. We hope through this initiative you will learn more about existing services and how to access them.

Why a human library?

The Caring for Community travelling photo exhibit and the human library initiatives contribute to one of the priorities of the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan, Integrated and Simpler Systems.

One of this priority's objectives is to improve access to services by adapting communications to be more understandable and accessible to the community. The exhibit was conceived to respond to the needs of the residents, highlighted in recent consultations and summarized in What We Heard reports. Common themes from participants included:

  • the need for centralized directories that contain information on access to services
  • the importance of using alternative communications channels and making resources accessible to those who do not have the means to access the information via the Internet
  • the importance of continuous public engagement to report back to the community on progress against targets
  • and the need to go into neighborhoods rather than expecting residents to come to services.

The books

Two public servants finding collective solutions to homelessness and mental health

Jessica and Kent are members of the small but mighty Community Engagement Team. Every day they walk city streets. They engage with housed and unhoused residents. Listen to people they meet. Learn about their challenges and concerns. Build relationships of respect, understanding and care.

We engage the entire community. We connect unhoused residents with the resources they need: shelter, employment, meals, recreation and healthcare. We educate housed residents on homelessness, drug use and other things the community might not understand or might be afraid of. We reduce blame, we break stigma.

A teacher fighting racism with education

Rajen is at the heart of efforts to make Ottawa a more inclusive place for everyone to live, work and play. A social justice educator, he advises the City on anti-racism practices. He also helps build this awareness into the City’s strategies, policies and plans. These issues feel close to him. In his life he experienced discrimination himself. He believes that empathy and understanding are the answers to racism. He talks to people. Asks questions. Listens deeply.

We fight racism with education. It’s our best tool. That’s what we all need.

Good neighbours bringing programs and services closer to the residents who need them

Rita is a case worker at the Catherine Street Community Service Hub. Javier is a community development coordinator working for the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team. They have one mission in common: to help people understand and access a complex web of government and community services. Javier and the Integrated Neighbourhood Services Team promote programs and services in the community. Rita helps residents navigate the system from the Catherine Street Community Service Hub.

Some people that come to see us are struggling through their darkest times. They’re happy to have someone to connect with, address their concerns and direct them to the right services.

Two social workers with a passion for mental well-being

“Thank you for talking.” “I went to school today.” “She is still alive.” These may be simple words to some. For Andrea and Natasha, these are small victories that make their jobs worthwhile. They both work for 1Call1Click.ca, a service that connects children, youth and families with the right mental health, substance use services and care when they need it. Andrea and Natasha show up, day in and day out, determined to give their community what it needs. And the need has never been greater.

Everyone has had difficult times. It’s okay not to be okay. And it is ok to ask for help.

Two residents helping Black entrepreneurs succeed

Kenneth and Gelila work at Jaku Konbit in Ottawa. He is the President and she is the Youth Assistant Administrator. The not-for-profit offers a Black Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program. Young people in this program get the tools that help them turn their aspirations into viable businesses. Kenneth and Gelila create opportunities. They help break down barriers to entrepreneurship. They help make the connections. They make information accessible. They make it easier for Ottawa’s youth to become successful entrepreneurs.

A lot of these youth aspire to business, but they struggle to take it to the next level. Our entrepreneur program provides them what they need to do so.

The Executive Director of an 2SLGBTQ+ serving organization

2SLGBTQ+ serving organizations play essential roles in combating sexual and gender-based violence. Carling Miller is the Executive Director of Kind Space, a community centre which celebrates people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. For Carling, Kind Space has always been a place where she felt cared for, respected and listened to. It is a safe space. It is a place for accessible resources, events, social and educational programming.

It is a space where you feel you belong, clean, open, full of laughter, food, people. Here, you can feel ok.

A woman fighting gender-based violence

Zahra works for Unsafe at Home, an organization providing survivors of gender-based violence with emotional support, safety plans, resources and referrals through a confidential and secure chat service, free to use and available online or via text. The service was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsafe at Home enables women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Ottawa and Lanark County to raise their voices and be heard.

A community leader dedicated to strengthening the mental well-being of the African, Caribbean and Black community in Ottawa

Nuradiin is a project officer with Ottawa Public Health. One project he sees as a real response to the needs of their communities is Stigma: The Power of Language. Community leaders rely on the knowledge and skills they gain through this initiative to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and strengthen resilience.The leaders are also able to show people where they can find help right in their neighbourhoods.

I grew up in the communities I serve. There is a natural connection between us. I know what they need. I love helping people and making a difference in my community.

A Yemeni doctor advocating for race and gender equity at the City of Ottawa

Dr. Sawsan Al Refaei is an expert in Public Policy and Advocacy in the areas of anti-racism, and gender equity and equality, diversity and inclusion. Her passion for women's rights started in Yemen where she comes from. She is a member of the Yemen Pact for Peace and Security, a Yemeni women movement working on women & security issues. She is also an ex-officio member in the City for All Women Initiative (CAWI). Sawsan is now leading the implementation of the Anti-Racism and Women and Gender-Equity Strategies at the City of Ottawa.

We can’t have high-quality services without gender equity. Thankfully, I can see the fruits of my work every day.

For more information on the human books and their stories, visit the CSWB Plan – Caring for Community website.