ON October 14, the date now popularly known as the Diksha Day when the architect of Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, embraced Buddhism in 1956, representatives of Ambedkarite International Coordination Society (AICS) and Chetna Association of Canada announced their plans for hosting a symposium on emancipation and celebrating Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality on April 22 and 23 next year in Vancouver.

The symposium plans to provide a forum for thinkers to gather and reflect on the progress made and challenges experienced over the past 20 years since the International Dalit Conference was hosted in Vancouver in May 2003.

Specific areas of focus for the Dr. Ambedkar Symposium on Emancipation will be:

• Access, opportunities, and challenges for social and economic development of the youth, both in India and abroad.

• Reflecting and building on strategies developed through prior conferences and research for taking the caravan forward and advancing political, economical, and social interests of marginalized communities.

• Evaluating the role of Buddhism for emancipation and re-strategizing in context of the emerging realities.

The symposium will be held on April 22, 2023. Various venues for the symposium are being explored.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality to observe Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti will be on April 23 at Fraserview Banquet Hall in Vancouver.

Dr. K.P. Singh, who was chairperson for International Dalit Conference of Vancouver in 2003, said he believed the Dr. Ambedkar Symposium on Emanicipation will provide “excellent opportunity to rethink and strategize our approaches for the next 20 years.”

He added: “I think the symposium will be extremely dynamic and thought provoking. The structure of the symposium seems to be apt and pragmatic.”

Academic institutions, many of those who lead in delivering the Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture in the Vancouver area, that have already confirmed their support for the symposium include:

• Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University.

• Center for India and South Asian Research at University of British Columbia.

• Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.

• David Lam Center at Simon Fraser University.

• The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society at University of British Columbia.

As organizers for these events are in the initial stages of its planning, information will be shared as it becomes available.

A steering committee to lead the planning of these events includes:

For AICS: Param Kainth, Anand Balley, Harjinder Mall.

For Chetna Association of Canada: Surjit Bains, Harmesh Chander, and Jai Birdi.

Other committees will also be established as further requirements are identified.

Those interested in becoming involved, volunteering, sponsoring or attending, can register using the page provided on the website: www.ase2023.ca or email at ASYME2023@gmail.com.