Where Dignity Grows is a collection of short stories about dignity and kindness To mark two decades of promoting dignity and kindness, youth, artists and community volunteers from Art Borups Corners and Ottawa-based Global Dignity Canada launched a heartwarming community arts project. The groups, with funding from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program, worked with youth and artists to explore introductory storytelling as part of their summer program, and decided to publish a collection of 20 short stories.
Where Dignity Grows is a collection of short stories about dignity and kindness
To mark two decades of promoting dignity and kindness, youth, artists and community volunteers from Art Borups Corners and Ottawa-based Global Dignity Canada launched a heartwarming community arts project. The groups, with funding from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program, worked with youth and artists to explore introductory storytelling as part of their summer program, and decided to publish a collection of 20 short stories. These stories, which focus on themes of dignity and kindness, were written, illustrated, and produced by young people and the artists who support them as a fun interdisciplinary arts and literacy project.
Eva Suluk, one of the volunteer artists behind the project, said “After learning about publishing, everyone wanted to do a simple project about sharing stories.” Suluk added “We’ve seen the impacts Global Dignity Canada’s work has had over many years and thought producing 20 simple, short stories would be a fun way to put our skills into practice.” The goal was to provide a meaningful learning experience that also contributed to the Ontario-based organization’s mission.
The resulting book is a collection of 20 short, fun stories that offer simple yet profound lessons on dignity and community. From a squirrel who learns to share to a young girl who discovers the power of helping others, the stories serve as a powerful reminder that dignity is an action we can choose every day.
A Book Inspired by the Five Guiding Principles of Global Dignity
Jamie Bell, one of the project’s supporters, said that the book is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be a person of dignity and how to build a kinder, more compassionate world. Inspired by Global Dignity’s five guiding principles, this collection of stories shows that a single good choice can change the world. It’s an ideal read for families, classrooms, and anyone who believes in the power of good.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Bell. “Our project, which met once or twice a week over the summer never intended to see a published book come out of the process.” He said the project was about introducing basic concepts of storytelling, oral history and digital literacy, but towards the end of the project, they decided to go one step further and package it all up. “Everyone learned a lot,” he said. “They even wrote code to put the book together using the latest standards for e-books, which make it accessible across multiple different platforms.”
This project is a powerful example of how interdisciplinary art can be used to inspire change. It celebrates creativity, collaboration, and community spirit, all of which are at the heart of Global Dignity Canada’s mission. The authors hope their stories will encourage readers to practice kindness in their daily lives.
Suluk said that it “was a very introductory project, but we enjoyed it so much that we’re already exploring ways to make another one.” The book will be officially launched on Global Dignity Day, October 15.
Youth and Community Dignity Stories Coming to Bookstores Soon!
The new book is available at various bookstores and outlets, including: Indigo | Barnes and Noble | Apple Books | Everand | Vivlio | Rakuten Kobo | Bol.de | Smashwords | Orell Füssli | Fable | Tolino | Vivlio | Palace Marketplace | E. Leclerc | Cultura | Casa de Libro | Hugendubel | LaFeltrinelli | Morawa | IBS.it | Décitre | Standaard Boekhandel
This year’s summer arts incubator program was made possible through support and funding from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program. This year’s programming has also been supported by Ottawa-based Global Dignity Canada, the Local Services Board of Melgund, The Arts Incubator and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Creative Entrepreneurship Program.
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