On the heels of receiving a Peterborough-Kawartha Women’s Leadership Award, Rosemary Ganley has also been named the recipient of the 2018 YMCA Peace Medal from the YMCA of Central East Ontario.
Ganley is a lifelong activist, writer, and feminist. Along with her late husband John, she founded the former charitable organization Jamaica Self-Help. She has twice represented Canada at the annual United Nations Conference on Women and recently served on the G7 council on issues of gender equality.
A high school teacher until her retirement, Ganley is known for working for the rights of girls and women, for poverty reduction and food security, for the rights of scientists, and for the rights of all to worship and vote as they choose. She also writes a regular column for the Peterborough Examiner.
Ganley was one of 54 women who received a Peterborough-Kawartha Women’s Leadership Award on October 27th from Peterborough-Kawartha MP and Minister of Status of Women Maryam Monsef.
The YMCA Peace Medal was created in 1987 by the International Committee at the YMCA of Fredericton and has since been presented annually by YMCA branches across Canada during YMCA Peace Week to local “peacemakers” — individuals who are recognized for promoting and inspiring “Participation, Empathy, Advocacy, Community and Empowerment” (PEACE) without any special resources, status, wealth, or position.
Previous recipients of the award include Charmaine Magumbe, Gord and Heather Rodin with Hope Grows, Margaret Slavin, Janet McCue, the Red Pashmina Campaign, Goodith Heeney, Micky Renders, and Jean Koning.
YMCA Peace Week runs from November 17th to 24th, and the YMCA of Central East Ontario will present Ganley with her Peace Medal in a ceremony from 9 to 10 a.m. on Friday, November 23rd at the Balsillie Family Branch (123 Aylmer St. S., Peterborough). The event is free and open to the public.
Other free events taking place during YMCA Peace Week include Yoga for Inner Peace and the Peterborough Peace Council Fall Meeting and De-escalation Workshop from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 18th. Both events takes place at the Balsillie Family Branch (123 Aylmer St. S., Peterborough).
In addition, the YMCA is encouraging people to visit the communications board near the front entrance of the Balsillie Family Branch to “plant a seed of peace”, in a collaboration with Creating Space Community Arts Studio. The YMCA will also be posting a daily suggestion on their social media channels on how you can act for peace.
