Philosophers’ Café with ALICE & Friends: Autumn 2025

 The complete briefing will be available soon. Thank you!

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: BC Multicultural Week 2025

 ~ ALICE & Friends Circle™ representing Romania at BC Multicultural Week 2025 ~

On Sunday (16 November 2025) our Literary & Socio-Cultural Group,
ALICE & Friends Circle™, has been invited by Culture Chats BC Association to represent Romania at their annual multicultural arts event – occasion which marks the opening of the BC Multiculturalism Week in our province.

Although, officially we are not a performing group or a band,
our cultural delegation was more than ready to take on the challenge.

Our presentation at this event began in a literary manner, with Circle's message for the ongoing BC Multicultural Week 2025. In addition, we brought with us several well-established highlights featuring our old culture – an authentic Romanian song (delivered live by a very talented Romanian youth), we exemplified few beautiful folk costumes of our country (few ladies of our cultural delegation were wearing complete traditional outfits), we brought a little bit of spirituality with us (the present icon is attesting ‘par excellence’ that aspect, Romania being a predominately Christian country), as well as a safe amount of national pride (graciously gathered under the Romanian flag).
At the end of our demonstration on stage, in the closing remarks of my brief speech, I emphasized that in less than 2 weeks, on December 1^st, we will celebrate Romania’s National Day, and I was glad to be able to invite the audience to reach out to us if they wish to learn more about our country, about our customs, about our history and about our lasting existence. 

For this day, before the official start of the program, at a reasonable sound level,
I had playing in the background at our table the “Romanian Rapsody” (composed by our famous George Enescu), while simultaneously I had a slide show running on my laptop, with beautiful images from Romania (emphasizing the concept of “Romania – the fairy tale land”).

For your enjoyment, if you wish to listen the immortal notes of the “Roman Rhapsody”, please follow this quick link. Thank you!

Preparing Circle’s appearance at this event, I enjoyed very much collaborating with Asmita Lawrence (the founding director of this Association) and Craita Isbasescu (a member of their board of directors, of a Romanian descendent).  

For our Circle, this type of involvement goes under the category of Community engagements.

Participating at this event, it was very interesting for me to see how the worlds of literature, culture and human experiences could nicely converge.

Key note speakers, singers, dancers, writers, thinkers, crafters, storytellers came together, talking about their passions, about their lives, about their hopes and dreams, all together illuminating the intricate tapestry of our multicultural society and the interplay between the personal vision and the collective identity. 

Without any doubt (for me personally), it was a very special experience, where these many arts could become both a mirror and a window, reflecting our world while offering vistas into the lives, struggles and triumphs of those who shape it.
 

Also, while at this page, I would like to emphasize a bit the significance of BC Multiculturalism Week in our province.

Every year, BC proclaims the third week of November as the Multiculturalism Week, in order to celebrate the province’s multicultural communities, their contributions, and the way diversity strengthens BC’s society. The celebration underscores values of inclusion, equity and respect, promoting a society free from racism, where all residents have equal opportunities to participate in community life.

BC is Canada’s most ethnically diverse province, home to more than 200 First Nations, Métis, Inuit & urban Indigenous communities, alongside residents originating from over 200 countries. Each year, the province also welcomes more than 40,000 new immigrants, highlighting the ongoing enrichment of its multicultural fabric.

From a historical perspective, BC Multicultural Week is guided by the British Columbia Multiculturalism Act (1993), which aims to enhance cross-cultural understanding and ensure that public policies, services and programs are sensitive and responsive to the multicultural reality of the province.
Ministries and organizations report annually on their efforts to uphold multicultural principles, ensuring alignment with the values of respect, inclusion and equity.  

Different individuals, schools, workplaces and community groups usually participate by hosting cultural displays, performances, educational activities and storytelling events. Social media campaigns such as #BCMulticulturalismWeek encourage residents to share stories and support inclusion throughout the province. Clearly, BC Multicultural Week 2025 is an opportunity for all British Columbians to celebrate diversity, learn about different cultures and acknowledge the contributions of multicultural communities to the province’s social and cultural development.

Wrapping up my briefing here, as we all journey through the week ahead of us (November 17-23'25 is the Multiculturalism Week in our province...BC, Canada),
I invite you to be reminded that each member of our society contributes a unique perspective, drawing from diverse backgrounds, experiences and traditions, while creating a rich mosaic of narratives that speak to both the universal and the particular. Through these lenses, we not only examine the mechanics of arts, but we also uncover the rich socio-cultural currents that act as a catalyst for dialogue, empathy and understanding, bridging temporal and social boundaries.
Sincerely,
Alice 

"No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive."  (Mahatma Gandhi)

● Here is the message received from the organizer

● Here is the documentary FILM produced by ROMPOST (a local TV station in Vancouver) featuring the participation of ALICE & Friends Circle™, representing Romania, at BC Multicultural Week 2025, on November 16, 2025.

Socializing: Early, Pre-Christmas Reunion 2025

In anticipation of the coming holidays season, on Friday (November 14, 2025) I was super pleased to organize an early, pre-Christmas reunion with a group of dear friends and loyal supporters of our Circle! Needles to say that the joy was in our midst the entire evening!

You know, there is always something magic in gathering together with friends who are on the same wavelength with you, before the world gets lost into the holidays' rush…to me this is a moment to pause, to reflect and to celebrate the connections that remind us what truly matters. This type of reunion is also a celebration of the shared journeys, laughter and challenges that have shaped us over the past year.

Each of my guests tonight brought a story, a spark, a presence that brightened our Circle, and personally I’m very grateful for that because only together, we create a tapestry rich with friendship, kindness and inspiration…threads that become stronger every time we gather. In this space, joy isn’t measured by gifts or glitter, but by the warmth of being together, knowing that even in a bustling world, these moments anchor us. Once again, to all my friends tonight: thank you for being by my side!

Gifts of time, attention, kindness and beautiful friendships are surely the basic ingredients of a blessed life!

PS:
In a not-too-distant future I will be back with a much more detailed photo collage, but for now I'm just posting this beautiful group photo, which eloquently reflects the beautiful atmosphere we all enjoyed this Friday evening.

November 11, 2025: REMEMBRANCE Day

This year, on Remembrance Day (November 11, 2025), we pause in solemn reflection to honor those who gave their lives in service to our nation and for the ideals of freedom and peace. Their courage and selflessness remind us that liberty and security are not inherited without sacrifice, and that the tranquility we often take for granted has been secured by their unwavering commitment.

As we stand in remembrance, let us allow their legacy to guide us toward responsibility and compassion, recognizing that our actions today are shaped by the freedoms they defended. Wearing a poppy, observing a moment of silence, or sharing their stories are not mere rituals…they are affirmations that their valor continues to inspire and that their sacrifices are never forgotten.

May this day strengthen our resolve to uphold the values for which they fought, to live not only in gratitude but with purpose, and to ensure that every generation remembers the profound cost of freedom. Lest we forget….

“A single life given for others echoes through generations…listen to that echo and be inspired.”

● CANADIAN highlights, filled with words of respect and...remembrance...
- The solider behind 'In Flanders Fields' (short documentary done by CBC News, and published under 'The National')   |   “In Flanders Fields” (youth choir)

- “In Flanders Fields”, by John McCrae (poem recited by Leonard Cohen)
● ROMANIAN highlights, filled with words of respect and...remembrance...
- An old Romanian patriotic song (Corul Armatei Române – “Pui de lei“) | Another well-known Romanian patriotic song (“Treceți batalioane române Carpații“)
- A short documentary called “Romania“

● My previous greetings on the same theme: REMEMBRANCE Day – 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019