Honouring Life Network Blog

Welcome to the HLN Blog! Here you will find postings about news items, positive youth programming across the country and beyond, job postings, resources, websites, scholarships/awards, research funding and other things that we think might be relevant to youth or youth workers visiting our site. If you’re looking for something specific, check out the tags at the end of each post and on the right-hand menu. The HLN blog should be interactive, so please feel free to leave a comment about any of the postings, or to email us if you have an idea for an HLN blog posting.

Become a Daughter Spirit in Action youth facilitator

Daughter Spirit in Action is a project run through the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) as part of the National Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Strategy.

The project supports mental health promotion training for Elders and youth with a focus on the value of mentorship and culture.

Who should apply?

  • Dedicated Aboriginal youth and Elders who would like to learn more about mental health promotion and suicide prevention and who want to promote positive mental health in their communities.
  • For 2011-2012, NWAC is recruiting youth from Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

What does this involve?

  • This is a volunteer position. As a volunteer, you will receive professional certified training in mental health promotion.
  • Volunteers must complete at least 10 community sessions. Once you have completed 10 sessions you will receive an official certificate of appreciation from NWAC and a letter of reference signed by NWAC's president.

Application requirements:

  • 2 reference letters
  • 350 word letter of interest

How to apply:

Email your application to:
Jade Harper, Manitoba Liaison at Jharper@nwac.ca

Or mail it to:
Native Women's Association of Canada
1 Nicholas Street, 9th Floor
Ottawa, ON
K1N 7B7

Application deadline is September 2, 2011

For more information, CLICK HERE

Tags: 

Taking Action - Art and Aboriginal Youth Leadership for HIV Prevention

Art, music, writing and dance are all powerful tools for sending out a message. We're seeing more and more projects using these artistic tools to promote healthy living. Taking Action is a great example!

The Taking Action! Project: Art and Aboriginal Youth Leadership for HIV Prevention is a national project working with six Aboriginal communities across Canada. They want to figure out how Aboriginal youth understand HIV in relation to their communities and cultures and also to see if using art is an effective tool for working with youth to talk about HIV/AIDS.

Why is this important?
There is so much in Aboriginal history and teachings to support healthy sexuality and Aboriginal traditions have always recognized the power behind the youth voice. Yet, there is a lack of culturally relevant information about HIV, which is a concern because HIV affects Aboriginal youth and their communities at higher rates across Canada.
It is time for Aboriginal youth to get involved in creating culturally relevant information that educates to prevent HIV. Unleashing the creative power of youth as health promotion activists is a successful approach, used both in Canada and around the world.
With this in mind, our team has developed the Taking Action! Project. It aims to involve Aboriginal youth as HIV prevention leaders, using both traditional art forms and new media approaches. Aboriginal youth, with the help of artists and community partners, will tackle the higher HIV infection rates among members of their communities by developing and showcasing their own creative art-based responses.

To read more about this project, and to see some of the amazing art produced during Taking Action workshops, check out their website: http://www.takingaction4youth.org/

Tags: 

NWT Suicide Prevention Training Program in Inuvik

YELLOWKNIFE (February 18, 2011) - The recently revised NWT Suicide Prevention Training Program is being offered to residents in the Beaufort Delta who are interested in learning suicide prevention and intervention skills to help others.

The Department of Health and Social Services, in partnership with the NWT Suicide Prevention Steering Committee, will be offering the training program at the Gwich'in Wellness Camp outside of Inuvik from March 19 to 28, 2011.

The revised one-week curriculum will use Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, and will consist of three phases that are culturally-relevant and community-based. The first phase will be grieving and healing work, the second phase will be community asset mapping, and the third phase will be planning to help communities address the issue of suicide.

"Anyone with intervention skills can intervene and save a life, which is why the program is open to all residents - and not just mental health professionals," said Minister of Health and Social Services, Sandy Lee. "With this new training program, community members will have the skills to help fellow community members."

Through the NWT Suicide Prevention Training Program, healthy living and wellness is being promoted which is a key priority in the Department of Health and Social Services' A Foundation for Change and the Government of the Northwest Territories' goal of healthy, educated residents.

For more information, contact:

Damien Healy
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
Tel: (867) 920-8927

Tags: