New cafe promotes diversity and understanding

Grab a sandwich, some snacks, a coffee and start meeting new people of different cultures, backgrounds and ways of life.

The Pangaea Café in Lethbridge offered just that opportunity twice last year, with the last gathering held late in November.

The brainchild of the Aboriginal Diversity Support Program, through the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge (ACL), in partnership with Lethbridge Family Services-Immigrant services, the café was the result of a Hate Crimes barbecue discussion last summer. The café seemed the perfect opportunity to informally educate both Aboriginal and new Canadians on each others experiences in the community of Lethbridge.
Adding to the café’s success was support from a variety of non-profit groups and different levels of government: YWCA, Women Space, Southern Alberta Ethnic Association, Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge, Alberta Culture and Community Spirit and the Lethbridge Regional Police Service. The City of Lethbridge funded the space and food on the menu.

Pangaea, which is a Latin word describing when the continents were all connected as one world before they drifted into the present day landscape, was chosen to represent the spirit behind the café.

“It was amazing to see such a turnout at the café. There were a number of Aboriginal people mixing and talking with people of all sorts of backgrounds, which created much needed dialogue at the community level,” said Amanda Scout, Aboriginal community liaison with ACL.
Weather of -35 degrees Celsius did little to dissuade people from turning out. Seventy people packed the foyer of City Hall. The first café attracted over 100 people, more than double the number anticipated.

One of the café’s draws, said Scout, is its informal setting, with neither guest speakers nor set programming. The café provided an opportunity for food and meeting new people from a variety of backgrounds in the spirit of friendship and inclusion.

The café tackled discrimination through the informal education received by people of different cultures and backgrounds interacting, said Scout.

 “I had a lot of fun mingling with people in the community and liked the fact as a shy person that people were approaching me to engage in conversation, which created an opportunity to meet many Canadians,” said Hanne Op de Beeck from Belgium, who was one of the many people from other countries to attend.

The third café is scheduled for March 9, again at the City Hall Foyer, with similar informal intentions, but with information and “myth-busting” tables.

Photo Caption: The first Pangaea Diversity Café in Lethbridge was held in September at the Galt Museum and Archives.