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Talking about diversity in Mission

Eighth annual Cycling4Diversity ride takes place Friday, ending at Mission City Hall
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Coun. Ken Herar is ready to ride in the eighth annual Cycling4Diversity event. / Submitted Photo

The eighth annual Cycling4Diversity ride takes place next Friday and organizer Ken Herar is welcoming people to join the ride.

The Province of BC and the District of Mission have both proclaimed the week of May 19 to 25 as Cycling4Diversity Week and Herar wants to get his message out to the public.

“Our message is to talk to kids about diversity and inter-culture relationships in ways that we can also break stereotypes of certain groups that people may have,” Herar said.

“What I’m very vocal against is the ‘ghettoization’ of communities. I understand that people like to live together, do things together, but I think that is a very lazy way of describing or referring to diversity.”

Herar believes Mission is still a community which is inclusive.

“People from all cultures live together, while other communities still struggle with it.”

Herar wants Mission to continue to be what it is today, a place where everybody is equal and everybody should be included.

The 2019 ride is a one-day event on May 24.

“This year we are doing the ride mainly in Mission. And we hope to visit six to eight schools,” said Herar.

The day wraps up in the afternoon at Mission City Hall.

“We’re having food and some speakers to talk about diversity.”

The public is invited to attend and share their stories.

“It’s kind of an open-dialogue discussion. We want to hear the great things in the community about diversity and, also, if people have concerns about things, we want to hear that too.”

Anyone who want to participate in the diversity ride can contact Herar at 604-615-2499.