Dear Self – Spoken Word Poetry Written & Performed by Wali Shah
With the influx of gang related incidents and violence in Thunder Bay it has become very apparent that steps need to be taken to help ensure the safety of our community members. As a result, a collaborative approach is being taken to help support individuals in our community that are at greatest risk of being victimized or impacted by gang activity. Awareness and education on the realities of what is going on in the community, the outlining risk factors and protective factors as well as signs to look out for will help students, educators, parents and community members work together to build a healthier community.
The Community Outreach Branch of the Thunder Bay Police Service had the pleasure to collaborate with Wali Shah to write a spoken word poem that will be used to try to connect with youth and to get them thinking about the impact of the choices they make. Here is a little bit more about Wali:
As an alumni of the RBC’s top 25 Canadian Immigrants, Wali Shah is a poet and public speaker. He’s delivered TED talks, created poetry for corporate events, narrated voice over for commercials and spoken at hundreds of schools and colleges across North America. Wali has toured Canada coast to coast as a WE Day performer and closed out President Barak Obama’s keynote speech with a bespoke poetic message in Toronto. He impressed notable figures with his freestyle poetry and performances, including Seth Rogen, Chris Hadfield, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kendrick Lamar. Wali has also served his hometown as Poet Laureate for the City of Mississauga. His work inspires thousands to follow his voice, his journey, and his advocacy. Wal Sha is the people’s messenger.
