In honour of Arabic Heritage Month, the Foothills Local Immigration Partnership (FLIP) partnered with the Calgary Arabic Arts and Culture Society and the Okotoks Film Society to host a Community Conversation and Arabic Film Night in Okotoks.
The event helped the Calgary Arabic Arts and Culture Society reach rural communities, connecting with local Arabic residents while sharing Arabic culture more broadly. It was supported by Almira’s, a local Arabic-Lebanese business. Several community partners helped make the evening welcoming and interactive. The High River Library and Okotoks Public Library displayed Arabic-language books, cultural stories, and language resources. McMan offered Arabic lettering colouring activities for families. These contributions showed the community’s commitment to culturally inclusive programming.
A cultural presentation was co-developed by FLIP Coordinator Stacey Trim, Ouafaa Eladmi, and Maysoon Ismail. It gave attendees a better understanding of Arabic culture, its richness, and its contributions to the community. This educational piece was important because people cannot truly celebrate a culture without understanding it. Many attendees realized they knew little about Arabic culture before the event and left with new knowledge.
After the presentation, attendees took part in community conversation prompts. They discussed questions like: How does cultural diversity make our community stronger? Why is it important to learn about other cultures? They also had a chance to ask Arabic attendees what their culture means to them personally. The conversations create space for connection and shared understanding.
One attendee said their perspective on Arabic culture had shifted positively, and they expressed interest in volunteering at future cultural events. Community outreach has impact, and this film night showed how one idea can continue to build throughout the region.
