Help women and children survive in war-torn Ukraine
Launched May 15, 2024, the Women Refugees Advocacy Project is holding our fourth fundraiser for Ukrainian women and children, this time online:
Please help women and children in Ukraine.
The brutal invasion of Ukraine has been going on for more than two years and the needs of Ukrainians are greater than ever. Donations go to Maria Dmytriyeva, a director of the Democracy Development Centre NGO, and her courageous team of women working inside Ukraine.
As always, funds raised go to urgent life-saving needs. Contributions go directly to Maria’s team to use at their discretion, enabling them to better meet the unpredictable needs of war. (Fundrazr ends July 7, 2024.)
Give Me Peace / Дай мені спокій
The Women Refugees Advocacy Project held a third fundraiser to assist women and children in Ukraine. The event took place Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 at the Princeton Pub & Grill in Vancouver, BC. Door prizes & raffle items paid tribute to Ukrainian culture. It was a great afternoon of rhythm and blues with the Ana Bon-Bon Trio in a packed pub. Thank you everyone who contributed!
Come Together
The Women Refugees Advocacy Project held a second fundraiser to assist women and children in Ukraine. The event was held March 19, 2023, at the Princeton Pub & Grill in Vancouver, BC. We screened great performances from the 1960s selected from YouTube, with a half-time singalong with Joni Miller. Thank you everyone for your generous contributions!
COMMFFEST Global Community Film & Arts Festival
The Least We Can Do was an official selection of the COMMFFEST Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Sept 15-22, 2022. COMMFFEST screened “The Least We Can Do” online at 4pm PST / 7pm EST Thurs, Sept 22, 2022. A discussion followed the initial screening. Online films were available until Oct 4th.
COMMFFEST is a “film festival that showcases a broad range of local and international films representing communities on current affairs and relevant issues that affect our society”.
Above the 49th Parallel
The Women Refugees Advocacy Project held a fundraiser to assist women and children in Ukraine. The event was held June 26, 2022, at the Princeton Pub & Grill in Vancouver, BC. We screened great performances by Canadian artists, selected from YouTube, with a half-time live performance by local band The Usual Suspects.
Thank you everyone for your generous contributions!
Film Girl Film Festival
The Least We Can Do was an official selection of the Film Girl Film Festival, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, March 25-31, 2022. The Film Girl Film Festival is “a society of women who shape the world with their imagination.”
The Least We Can Do screened between March 25 to 31.
Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival
The Least We Can Do was an official selection of the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, LA, California, USA, March 24-27, 2022.
Presented by Alliance of Women Filmmakers.
The film screened Sunday, March 27, 2022 | 11:30 a.m. PDT.
Worldwide Women’s Film Festival
The Least We Can Do was an official selection of the Worldwide Women’s Film Festival, Phoenix, Arizona, USA, Feb 18-20, 2022. Screened during the Products of War Film Block – Saturday Feb. 19 @ 9:17pm.
Taken for Granted: A teenage girl and her father from a small village visiting Kabul, get separated in a market during a Taliban attack and her only way out is in the middle of it all.
The Least We Can Do: A group of women from British Columbia fight to persuade the Canadian government to follow through on their promise to provide trauma services and relief treatment to rescued Yazidi women refugees from Northern Iraq.
Women who rocked the boat YOUTUBE
November 28th, 2021, the Women Refugees Advocacy Project held a fundraiser for a new project working with Afghan-Canadian filmmaker Brishkay Ahmed in support of Afghan women who have newly arrived in Canada. Brishkay spoke at the event. Thank you to all who contributed.
Compassion Film Festival
The Least We Can Do was an official selection of the Compassion Film Festival® Carbondale, Colorado, screened between August 13 – 22, 2021. The Least We Can Do was one of three feature length films that will be screened. The theme of this year’s festival is “Healing Together”.
LA Independent Film Channel
The Least We Can Do streamed June 5-7, 2021, on the LA Independent Film Channel. It was broadcast as an official selection of the Venice Shorts film festival in Venice, California.
Congress 2021
“Congress 2021” (May 27 to June 4) is Canada’s largest academic gathering. It is a virtual conference this year, organized in partnership with the University of Alberta and the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
A virtual discussion of The Least We Can Do was held at Congress 2021 on June 3, 1:00 to 2:00pm, hosted by Moving Images Distribution..
Yorkton Film Festival
The Least We Can Do documentary was nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award and screened online in the Yorkton Film Festival (May 27-30). Film links were available for free. For more information, please see the Yorkton Film Festival website.
International Women’s Day 2021
On March 8th, The Least We Can Do was screened with a discussion. Thank you to the generous sponsors, Powell River Film Festival and Powell River Council for Arts and Culture.
To learn more: https://www.prpeak.com/living/powell-river-film-festival-site-features-documentary-film-for-international-womens-day-3520178
Letter Writing Campaign
The campaign was launched at the Powell River International Women’s Day virtual film screening event on March 8, 2021. Please advocate for the Yazidi. Our template letter is here.
Help the Yazidi in Sinjar
The Yazidi people in Sinjar need immediate help as they face a dire humanitarian crisis. WRAP is working with One Free World International to ensure aid gets directly to the people. WRAP held an online fundraising campaign to provide aid to Sinjar. The fundraiser is now complete.
The Least We Can Do documentary premiere
Activist discussion to follow
Film: Saturday, Dec 12, 2020 @ 3pm PST/6pm EST
Discussion: Saturday, Dec 12, 2020 @ 4pm PST/7pm EST
Film & discussion will then be available to view until Dec 21 at 7:00pm
The Least We Can Do premiered at Ottawa’s One World Refugee Film Festival online Canada wide. The screening was followed by a discussion and Q&A The Clock is Ticking: The Urgent Situation Unfolding for the Yazidi.
The discussion panel brought significant knowledge and insight to the state of the Yazidi in Iraq’s refugee camps and in Sinjar, their destroyed homeland. Panelists included:
• The Honourable S. B. Mobina Jaffer QC, Senate of Canada, international advocate for protection of women and girls in war
• The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, chair of the World Refugee & Migration Council, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada
• Rev. Majed El Shafie, founder and president of One Free World International
• Dr. Leora Kuttner, international expert on pain and anxiety management
• Aveen, Yazidi refugee from a previous genocide
• Dr. Jan Kizilhan, leading world expert on trauma care for Yazidi genocide survivors
Call for intervention in the humanitarian crisis taking place as thousands of Yazidi leave refugee camps to return to Sinjar
Online Press Conference
10:30am, Tues, Sept 15, 2020
MC Senator Mobina Jaffer
Welcome T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss
Speakers
Christine McDowell, Women Refugees Advocacy Project (WRAP)
Aveen, Yazidi artist and humanitarian activist
Ellen Woodsworth, Chair, Women Transforming Cities International
Lloyd Axworthy, Chair, World Refugee & Migration Council
December 6th 2019 Letter Campaign
WRAP participated in the December 6th 2019 public ceremony held at the Women’s Monument, Marker of Change, in Thornton Park, Vancouver, BC. A letter calling the government to take action on Yazidi trauma care was passed around for signature. The letter with signatures was sent to the Prime Minster, relevant Ministries, and all Members of Parliament. No response yet.
For more information or to volunteer, contact WRAP at: wrapforjustice@gmail.com
PETITION DELIVERED TO PARLIAMENT
On Monday, October 29, 2018, the Yazidi trauma care petition was delivered to Jenny Kwan MP on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Nine of us were present to hand over the petition, six Yazidi women from BC and Ontario, and three women from WRAP.
Petition delivery
October 29, 2018
9:00 am on Parliament Hill, Jenny Kwan MP received the petition.
10:00 am there was a 30 minute press conference in the Press Gallery.
Jenny Kwan MP spoke along with a representative of the Women Refugees Advocacy Project (WRAP) and Yazidi women from BC and Toronto.
We stayed afterwards and talked with the Canadian Press reporter.
3:00 pm Jenny Kwan MP tabled the petition in the House of Commons.
4:30 pm WRAP representatives and the Yazidi women met with MP Rob Oliphant in his office.
The petition is brought forward by a coalition of Co-Petitioner organizations. This is a non-partisan effort to encourage the federal government to keep their promise to provide comprehensive trauma care to the survivors of slavery and torture by ISIS, Yazidi women and girls who are now refugees in Canada.
Thank you everyone for supporting the Yazidi genocide awareness raising events that were held in Vancouver.
Yazidi survivor, Adiba, with Rev. Majed El Shafie of One Free World spoke about the plight of the Yazidi at a Press Conference in Thornton Park, at BC Children’s Hospital, Simon Fraser University Downtown, and in an open multi-faith forum at Canadian Memorial United Church.
Ceremony and Press Conference
Guest speakers: Rev. Majed El Shafie
and Yazidi survivor, Adiba
MP Jenny Kwan
Guest speaker: Lorelei Williams, Skatin Nations/Sts’Ailes
MC Chris McDowell, Women Refugees Advocacy Project
Thursday, September 27, 2018
9:00 am ceremony (please bring flowers)
10:00 am press conference
Marker of Change, the Women’s Monument
Main St and Terminal Ave
Thornton Park, Vancouver, BC
Women’s and Children’s Hospital
“Addressing the unique mental health needs of Yazidi girls and women”
Meet Rev. Majed El Shafie & Moderator Dr. Leora Kuttner
Friday, September 28, 2018
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Room D308, Third floor Shaugnessy Bldg
Heather St entrance #77
Vancouver, BC
This event will be live streamed to satellite locations.
J.S. Woodsworth Presentation
Simon Fraser University
“One man’s fight on behalf of Yazidi women and girls”
Guest speaker, Rev. Majed El Shafie
Moderator Sharon McGowan
Friday, September 28, 2018
Room 7000
6:00 pm event
(Doors open 5:30 pm)
Harbour Centre, Downtown Campus
515 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC
All Welcome free event (no ticket required)
Canadian Memorial United Church
Multi-Faith Forum
“Ring the bells that still can ring”
Meet Rev. Majed El Shafie – Human Rights Advocate
Saturday, September 29
7:30 pm event
(Doors open 6:30 pm)
Burrard St & W 15th Ave
Vancouver, BC
All welcome free event (no ticket required)