Dawar Naeem
Dawar is a Community Journalist at Focus media Arts Centre.
 
The Regent Park Social Development Plan is a community wide initiative aimed at fostering social cohesion and inclusion. The SDP Community Building Working Group is one of the four working groups that are part of the Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP). The group meets monthly to Plan and discuss how to implement the SDP goals. The Goal of the Community Building Working Group is to create and organize equitable spaces, events and groups that bring Regent Park residents together and build bridges, particularly between market and TCH residents.
 
In the July 2023 meeting, The Filipino group of Regent Park was supposed to present, but for reasons unknown, the group's representative, Mary Ann Kalang could not attend the meeting. Walied Khogali, the Co-chair of the Community Building group made an announcement about Sunday in the Park. Sunday in the Park is an annual community wide festival celebrating the talents, richness, and diversity of Regent Park. For 2023 Sunday in the Park Event a youth from Regent Park, Samir Abdella has been hired as a Coordinator.
 
The Group also discussed The Peace Garden, located at 40 Oak Street, outside the Christian Resource Centre. The garden was built as a remembrance for all the lives lost through Gun-violence in Regent Park. Walied informed the group that The Peace Garden facilitators needs support to maintain the garden. The group plans to help them with that.
 
Ismail Mohamed from the Evaluation and Benchmarks committee shared a survey with the group. The Survey focused on the evaluation of the Community Building working group 's goals and the wider SDP activities and outcomes.