2008 Toronto Alpha Study Tour (Peace and Reconciliation Tour) Press Conference on June 26, 2008

Toronto Association for Learning & Preservingthe History of WWII in Asia



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONFERENCE
What:
Asian World War II history & humanity studies tour for Canadian educators and teachers
Where:
Yee Hong Scarborough Finch Centre,
60 Scottfield Drive, Scarborough, Ontario M1S 5T7
When:
JUNE 26, 2008 at 12:00 PM

A group of 14 educators from Ontario, 12 from B.C., 2 from Alberta, 1 from Australia will explore first hand the historical facts about WWII atrocities in Asia, with the focus on humanity issues like ‘comfort women’, the Nanking massacre, the biological warfare and forced laborers, during a 2-week study tour to China and Korea from July 3rd to 17th.

This is the first time we have teacher participants from Alberta; the first time we include educator outside Canada; and the first time we visit Seoul, Korea where more than 150,000 young women were kidnapped or forced to become sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese Army.

With the objective to bring our teachers and educators outside of classroom and learn the history where it actually took place, the 5th Peace and Reconciliation Study Tour is jointly organized by Toronto ALPHA and BC ALPHA, both volunteer based organizations with similar vision on education initiatives.

At the press conference, we will share with you why and how this education initiative is so important for Canadian educators. Alongside with the WWII history in Europe, we see the need for the Canadian curriculum to also provide insight to our young generations about this piece of widely unknown but blatant examples of human rights violation in human history in Asia during WWII period. We will also share what accomplishments Toronto ALPHA had achieved in its educational mandate in the past years.

Speakers:
Dr. Joseph YK Wong, Founder and Chair, Toronto ALPHA
Flora Chong, Vice Chair, Toronto ALPHA; 2008 Tour coordinator
George Hall, 2006 Tour participant and 2008 Tour teachers’ facilitator
Margaret Wells, 2008 Study Tour participant; Instructor, OISE
Amy Chan, 2008 Study Tour participant; Teacher, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute
Judy Cho, Korea Itinerary Coordinator

For Enquiries and information, please contact Flora Chong at 416-567-2210 or
Venne Ng at 416-816-9321 email: info@torontoalpha.org