Martin Luther King Day Breakfast at Montreal`s City Hall

Summary of the City of Montreal & Brian Bronfman Family Foundation’s
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY BREAKFAST, 21 JAN 2013
1. The 2013 Martin Luther King Day Breakfast at City Hall in Montreal was a
true success, greatly enjoyed by the 140 people in attendance. Again this
year, the event was moderated by Normand Beaudet of the Centre de
ressources sur la non-violence…
2. Mayor Michael Applebaum then addressed the audience, with moving
words on the importance of diversity to him and the city. It was clear that
Mayor Applebaum was genuinely committed to the cause and values of
peace, non-violence, and social harmony…
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3. Brian Bronfman spoke next…
“Thank you Mayor Applebaum. La fondation de la famille Brian
Bronfman est fière d’être partenaire avec la Ville de Montréal dans la
commémoration de la journée Martin Luther King. Notre fondation a un
mandat assez unique : le support de la paix, la résolution des conflits, et les
droits humains, avec un accent particulier sur la paix pragmatique – ça
veut dire les initiatives concrètes qui contribuent à la création d’une
société plus non-violente, harmonieuse et empathique. La société que
nous ciblons va au-delà de tolérer la différence. Cette société célèbre la
diversité comme élément clé dans un monde vibrant, dynamique et
prospère. Fifty years after his most famous speech – in which he spoke of
his “dream” and of the “beautiful symphony of brotherhood” – Martin
Luther King Jr continues to embody the values of peace, non-violence, and
diversity. In 1967, Dr. King challenged the world to follow his lead
through concrete steps, suggesting that, “The philosophy and strategy of
nonviolence should become immediately a subject for study and for
serious implementation in every field of human conflict.” In other words,
nonviolence should not just be something we value - we should do all we
can to support its concrete application to our lives and our communities.
In the City of Montreal, there are tremendous individuals and
organizations doing just that. Many of them are in this hall today—
including Leave Out Violence and Mise au jeu, who will be presenting to
you shortly. Groups like these are applying peace by reducing violence,
increasing compassion, and creating harmony in our communities, in our
families, and among our fellow citizens. They are implementing…
 Programs that generate intercultural understanding, breaking
down stereotypes and celebrating difference
 Programs that use mediation and other alternative dispute
resolution services to help people solve their own conflicts with a
central focus on justice and fairness
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 Programs that develop emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and
negotiation skills in children as young as kindergarten age, and
 Programs that break the cycle of violence in the lives of adolescents,
by helping them better communicate, finding positive outlets for their
energy, and providing them with much-needed support from their
peers, families, and communities.
Ces programmes sont presque inconnus, mais ils sont énormément
valables et méritent la reconnaissance et le support. Ils représentent des
moyens de prévenir et de contrer la discrimination, l’intimidation, les
gangs de rues, la violence domestique, etc, tout en créant des citoyens
positifs et productifs. Je vous invite de vous joindre à la Ville de Montréal
et son nouveau maire Michael Applebaum, ainsi que la Fondation de la
famille Brian Bronfman, le Réseau des donateurs pour la paix – et ses plus
récentes additions la Fondation Cole, la Fondation McConnell et l’Alliance
Canadien pour les Technologies Avancés – et les excellents organismes et
professionnels de paix montréalais, à poursuivre les idées de Martin
Luther King en créant des communautés plus pacifiques, plus
harmonieuses, plus empathiques, et moins violentes. Merci.”
4. The core of each Martin Luther King Day breakfast, as we have developed
it, is to provide Montrealers with an opportunity to meet and get a sense of
our finest organizations working for applied peace and non-violence. This
year, we featured Leave Out Violence (LOVE) and Mise au Jeu. LOVE
presented testimonials from three youth regarding the impact of the LOVE
media arts program on their lives, as it helps them go from despair and
violence to hope and belonging. Especially moving was the trilingual rap
(in English, French & Spanish) written and performed by one of the youth.
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5. Mise au Jeu demonstrated how theatre can be used to promote thoughtful
discussion, in this case on the issue of diversity. Two actors played out a
scenario of possible racism in a job interview, then pulled in audience
members to seek alternative approaches to the situation. The scenario was
most fitting for the occasion of Martin Luther King Day, and very well
executed on behalf of Mise au Jeu.
6. The event then transitioned from the promotion of Montreal’s non-violence
initiatives into the promotion of Montreal’s Black History Month. Michael
Farkas and Rev. Darryl Gray spoke, and there was a very moving
performance by the Imani Gospel Choir. As the choir finished, everyone
rose to their feet in applause, making a fitting end to a wonderful Martin
Luther King Day Breakfast in Montreal.
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