Ed Smith spoke with Kathy Castania from Cugini Di Roc and Gwen Olton from the M.K. Gandhi Institute.
-Kathy and Gwen talked about the partnership between the two organization build their partnership over the last few years
-Both organizations believe in restorative practices and helping people learn about other cultures
-Kathy explained that the city of Rochester proclaimed that October 1st would be Italian Heritage Day and so they wanted to create an event to celebrate Italian traditions and heritage
-Kathy talked about how Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day doesn’t properly represent Italian heritage for all Itialians and so this is an opportunity to celebrate Italian heritage in a better way, through music, food and education demonstrations.
-Both organizations are supporting Indigenous People’s Day on October 9th
-Kathy invited the public to attend the event and to bring their family tradition and stories to be documented in a historical archive that they are putting together.
-Gwen talked about the mission of the Gandhi Institute which is sustainability, restorative practices, racial justice, nonviolence education.
-They both talked about the importance of partnerships with local nonprofits and businesses