Hamilton’s first Inclusivity Carnival promotes diversity in community

Hamilton’s first Inclusivity Carnival took place at Gage Park on Saturday, spreading awareness of diversity and promoting inclusivity in the community.

The event is the brain child of high school student Keira Savin, and she came up with the idea just eight months ago.

“I come from a very diverse family myself. I faced discrimination being a female and having ADHD. My family members have told me stories about their struggles being Aboriginal, having Asian descent, and African descent as well,” Savin said.

“I feel that it’s very important to communicate to the younger generation the importance of inclusivity and diversity in our community.”

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The carnival showcased different ethnicities, religions, physical impairments, and gender identities.

And in an effort to learn about diverse communities, many inclusive and cultural games were played.

Savin is hoping her carnival makes a difference.

“I think it’s important to show diversity to kids because a lot of the time kids grow up in their households surrounded by people similar to them. By exposing kids to diversity that is found everywhere in our community, kids will grow up into the real world being exposed to that diversity and being open to it and being inclusive when they grow up,” Savin said.

Even though this is the first time Savin has ever done an event like this, she’s hoping this is just the start of something big and she plans to bring it back again next year.