Heritage Language Day @ CIES

As the wrap up of LINC Month, CIES dedicated a day to celebrate language and culture and it was yet another colourful day of sharing. One of the best parts of working or volunteering at CIES is that one literally has the world all around you, with clients from as many as 30 different countries at any given time roaming our halls.

The day's focus was on language, as booths were set up in rooms throughout our NE Location that offered lessons on Arabic, Dinka,  Urdu/ Punjabi, Spanish, Oromo, Tigrigna, Nepali, Mandarin, Farsi and Chinese. Beyond language, cultural folk-tales and games were also shared, making the day a living kaleidoscope of our planet.

Events such as this often celebrate the differences amongst us, but when people come together to do so it then reveals our similarities. This is due to the fact that despite these differences, we are more alike than different, no matter how difficult it may be to recognize our similarities. It’s in our nature to see our differences before we see that which is the same, but when given the chance to truly see, like a blind man regaining his sight, what was always right in front of us becomes an emancipating vision of truth. On a grander scale, the reflection of our internal selves can be seen in almost any human soul. We are all mirrors, all reflections of one another, yet so many simply cannot see. That's what makes all of us here at CIES so lucky, we do get to see. Every day. For pictures of the event CLICK HERE.