“Decolonizing the mind and knowledge”
Public lecture as part of Black History Month, with an introduction by GaCran (a group actively working to combat anti-Black racism).
Abdi Bileh Dirir
Vice-principal in Eastern Ontario’s Francophone public school board (CEPEO)
Abdi Bileh Dirir is a historian, researcher and promoter of African history and culture. He is very active in the community: he is a school vice-principal; a founder of the ACPHA, a Canadian association for the promotion of African heritages; and a former president of the expert group against racism in education at CCUNESCO (2020-2021). In 2014, Mr. Bileh was awarded the prestigious Capital Teaching Excellence Award and a provincial award from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade for his advocacy work in inclusion and diversity. In 2016, he was nominated for the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. An active member of the community, he organizes large-scale national and international events to promote the culture and history of people of African descent. In February 2017, he worked with UNESCO to bring together Canadian artists from different backgrounds and origins to join the UNESCO International Coalition of Artists for the General History of Africa, a first in Canada.