Registered Nonprofit · Founded 2010 · British Columbia, Canada
About Us
"From Dialogue to Action. From Roots to Belonging. From Africa to British Columbia — and Beyond."
Introduction & Community Impact
Black-Led. Black-Serving.
Community-Centred.
Founded in British Columbia in 2010, the Great Lakes Networking Society of BC is a registered nonprofit organization that advances community well-being through arts, culture, education, advocacy, and inclusive community programming — bringing people together across cultures and generations to promote equity, reconciliation, and social cohesion.
Through festivals, storytelling, cultural events, and grassroots initiatives, we create meaningful spaces and platforms for connection, creativity, dialogue, round-table panels, and workshops. Our work strengthens community belonging, supports cultural expression, and advances social justice — particularly for underserved, racialized, marginalized, and interfaith minority populations across British Columbia and beyond.
As a Black-led, Black-serving, Black-focused, and Black-mandated organization, we are committed to uplifting the voices, histories, and contributions of people of African descent. We play a vital role in preserving and promoting cultural heritage while creating accessible spaces and platforms for artists, performers, Elders, seniors, youth, community members, and those living with disabilities, to share their stories, their talents, and their truths.
Through our programs and partnerships, we contribute to a more inclusive and equitable cultural sector — supporting community-based arts initiatives, facilitating intercultural collaboration, and addressing systemic barriers to participation. Our work not only enriches the cultural landscape of British Columbia but also strengthens resilient, connected communities grounded in respect, diversity, and shared humanity.
in BC
Arts & Culture
Festivals, cultural celebrations, arts & heritage programs
Dialogue & Advocacy
Panel discussions, workshops & reconciliation programming
Community Wellness
Mental health, homelessness & refugee support
Cultural Equity
Inclusive spaces for underserved & racialized communities
Inclusive Platforms
Accessible spaces for seniors, youth & people with disabilities
Partnerships
Local, national & international community collaboration
Our Work
What We Do
Festivals, cultural celebrations, arts, heritage programs, and community events that support local and grassroots artists
Facilitated dialogues, panel discussions, and community programming on racism, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and reconciliation
Education and advocacy for underserved, interfaith, and minority communities
Community wellness programs addressing mental health, addiction, homelessness, and refugee protection
Seniors' storytelling, sound arts, and intergenerational mentorship connecting seniors and youth
Financial literacy programs empowering individuals and families toward economic independence
Support, service delivery, and referrals for refugees and newcomers from the Africa Great Lakes Region
Community sports programs that build connection, belonging, and healthy living
Local, national, and international partnerships that strengthen our reach and deepen our community impact
Global Framework
Our Global Commitments
The Great Lakes Networking Society of BC proudly supports and promotes the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2034, building on the concluded first UN Decade (2015–2024).
"People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice and Development."
— Primary theme for both UN Decades for People of African Descent
This international framework guides our programming and affirms our commitment to the dignity, visibility, and full participation of people of African descent in Canadian society and beyond.
Africa Day
Rooted in a Continent, Growing in Community
Our annual celebration of Africa Day connects our work here in Vancouver to one of the most defining moments in modern history — a living reminder of the strength, dignity, and unity of the African continent and its diaspora worldwide.
On May 25, thirty-two newly independent African nations gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) — a powerful declaration that Africa's people would govern themselves with dignity, sovereignty, and unity. That historic date became Africa Day, observed every year across the world as a celebration of African identity, resilience, and pride.
The OAU evolved into the African Union (AU), uniting 55 member nations in a shared commitment to peace, economic development, continental integration, and the preservation of Africa's rich cultural heritage. Today the AU stands as the largest regional body on earth.
Here in Vancouver, the Great Lakes Networking Society of BC gathers our community to honour Africa Day, celebrate the journey from the motherland to British Columbia, and the vibrant African diaspora that enriches this city and this country.
The World Loves Everything Africa Gives —
It Is Learning to Love Us Too
The world loves Africa. It loves our music — the rhythms that gave birth to jazz, blues, reggae, hip hop, and afrobeats. It loves our food, our art, our fashion, our aesthetics. It cannot start its morning without coffee — a gift Ethiopia gave the world. The minerals beneath African ground power every smartphone, every electric vehicle, every economy that calls itself modern.
The pyramids, among the greatest architectural achievements in all of human history, were built by African hands, African minds, and African genius. And yet the story of who built them is still being told by people who were not there. This is perhaps the deepest wound of all: people writing our story without us.
"They love everything that comes from us. They are still learning to love us. And we are still here — creating, contributing, and rising — whether the world is ready or not."
At the Great Lakes Networking Society of BC, we celebrate the people behind every rhythm, every flavour, every mineral, and every drop of rain. You cannot love what Africa produces and then turn away from the people Africa has given to the world.
Our Stance
A Message of Resilience and Presence: We Cannot Be Erased
We are living through a moment in history where, in some of the most powerful administrations in the world, there are deliberate and organised efforts to attack diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. To defund programs that support marginalized communities. To remove critical race theory from classrooms. To rewrite history in ways that erase the contributions, the suffering, and the resilience of people of African descent.
We see it. We name it. And we say clearly and without fear — it will never work.
"You cannot erase what is woven into the foundation of every nation on earth. There is no country — not one — built without the hands, minds, creativity, and resilience of African people."
Critical race theory is not a radical invention. It is simply the honest telling of history. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are not political agendas. They are the basic requirements of a society that wishes to call itself fair.
You can remove the words from a curriculum. You cannot remove the truth from history. You can defund a program. You cannot defund a people. You can try to erase a narrative. You cannot erase the people who lived it, survived it, and are still here — still creating, still contributing, still rising.
"We are not a footnote in someone else's story. We are authors of our own."
"They can try to erase the chapter. They cannot erase the authors."
Territorial Acknowledgement
Great Lakes Networking Society of BC lives and works on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish People, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lo and Tseil-Waututh Nations.
Registered Nonprofit · BC Societies Act #80232 7262 BC 0001 · Founded 2010
Karibuni — You Are Welcome Here
Whether you want to attend a festival, volunteer, support our work, or simply learn more — there is a place for you.