March 8th Toronto - Our Voices Our History

02/25/2024

See you there!
March 7th at 7pm at the Columbus Centre

03/09/2022

03/09/2022

Thank you Comites Toronto for supporting our event “Our Voices Our History” to celebrate International Women’s Day 2022 on March 8th at the Columbus Centre!
Here are some Comites councilors, who attended the event: Michela Di Marco, Daniela Sanzone, Anna Ciardullo Villapiana, Anna Stalteri, Giuseppe Cafiso, Mattia Bello, Luigi Cornelio, Roberto Bandiera

03/09/2022

What an amazing and inspiring evening tonight! Grazie a tutti coloro che hanno partecipato!

A special thank you to our speakers:

Maria Di Marco
Michela Di Marco
Lillian Conti
Bruna Di Giuseppe-Bertoni
Anna Ciardullo Villapiana
Laura Tonelli
Laura Libralato
Marisa Agostini

for telling the adventures of (extra)ordinary women, and for their songs, poetry, stories, passion, positive energy, love. ❤️🌹

Gianna Patriarca, who is part of the organizing team, Vibrant Women’s Voices, was also there.

Thanks to Villa Charities for hosting our event and for the mimose to our speakers, and to Comites Toronto for offering the catering and for participating!
And what a vibe from our great audience!

Thanks to Francesca La Marca for participating and Fucsia Fitzgerald Nissoli for sending a video with her greetings.

Great finger food and cold cuts beautifully prepared by Luciano Schipano, delicious cannoli offered by Anna Stalteri and yummy almonds cookies by Betty Lepore and the Sicilian Cultural Society.

03/08/2022

Happy International Women’s Day. Buona Festa della donna.
Tonight March 8, we celebrate rights, inclusion, and equity at the Columbus Centre at 6:30-8:30pm, speaking about Women’s Stories, their struggling and achievements.
There is still a lot to do, in this world. There are stories to tell, and fights to fight - peacefully.

Refreshments will be served.

Address: 901 Lawrence Ave W, North York, ON M6A 1C3

03/04/2022

Meet our speakers!
Marisa Agostini

Marisa immigrated from Calabria, Italy as a child. She always saw herself as a woman of power. Compelled to improve her status, she attended U of T and York University while married with children. Successful educator in both Public and Catholic board for 45 years. Community work at the heart of her being. Initiated and led a number of non for profit organizations, including the present Italian Canadian Women Immigrant group. She is presently working on her memoir and book of poetry.

03/04/2022

Meet our speakers!
Laura Libralato

Laura is an educator, performing artist and curator of The Quiet Immigrant Project. She initiated The Quiet Immigrant Project in 2018 by way of interviewing the matriarchs of the Italian Diaspora---our first generation of Femmine Forti. We must ‘listen to the silence of the women’. Through both the artistic and academic lens Laura communicates the essence of learning and appreciating personally and professionally. And in the end ----- ‘stories are the proof of life, sharing is necessary.’

03/02/2022

See you on March 8th at 6:30 at the Columbus Centre. Light Refreshments will be served.

03/02/2022

Meet our speakers!

Anna Ciardullo Villapiana

Anna Ciardullo Villapiana is a poet and academic instructor. She published three collections of poetry. She was born in Cosenza, Italy in 1973. She graduated in 2000 at University of Calabria in the Faculty of Art with a Modern Literature degree. In 2003 she moved to Canada where she started her career as translator and Italian language teacher. From 2005 to 2013 she wrote articles for several magazines in Italy about her migratory experience and poems about “nostos” (nostalgia) and faith.

03/01/2022

Meet our speakers!
Laura Tonelli

Born in Canada, Laura was raised by Italian Immigrant parents who devoted their lives to hard work and family. The oldest of two siblings. Growing up surrounded by music and family gatherings is what Laura attributes her love of life and music. Laura is a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, entertainer, coordinator, fundraiser, and artistic director of LET Signature Events. Laura feels she came full circle when she was introduced to a recovery program working with addiction and mental health that has brought her to working as Events and Public Relations. Specialist in the developmental disabilities sector.
Her “unchartered course” is all about an innate passion to “give back” by welcoming the road less travelled to get to where you are meant to be.

02/28/2022

Meet our speakers!

Lillian Conti
Lillian Conti came from Sant’Onofrio, Calabria, at the age of 10. She attended U of T and York University and went on to teach with both the TCDSB and the YCDSB. She also attended Tyndale University College & Seminary presenting her thesis on, “The Equality of Women in the Church”. She is the author of three books. As a member of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers (AICW) her short stories and poems have been read on television. Her newly published book, Where is God? Teens Want to Know! was inspired by the many spiritual, moral, and theological questions her high school students continually asked. Lillian and her husband, Angelo, are proud parents of five grown children and ten grand-children.

02/27/2022

Meet our speakers!

Bruna Di Giuseppe-Bertoni
Bruna Di Giuseppe-Bertoni was born in Rome, Italy. She came to Canada when she was a teen. As an artist, her passion is painting and writing. She has won literary awards for her poetry in Canada and in Italy. Her poetry and writing is included in several anthologies, and she has written several books, including some for children. She had a carrier in Social Services in the Italian community as she provided professional support for mental health. She has been involved with the Italian community in various roles. She continues to support and educates groups about mental health and community support.