The organizer of the Walk 4 Diversity held today (Friday) in Abbotsford hopes the event leads to more discussions about inclusivity, helping to dissipate ignorance across cultures.

“I think lots of people don’t understand what it means to have an inclusive society, that it takes both parties. It takes people of different cultures to step out of their comfort zones and to get to know their neighbour,” said Priya Sharma.

The walk began today (Friday) at 8 a.m., leaving from the Tim Hortons at the Fraser Valley Automall and ending in the early afternoon at Clik Cafe on Whatcom Road.

Along the way, participants stopped at churches and temples.

Sharma said she was inspired to organize the event after witnessing “an apparent divide between the Indo-Canadian community and other Canadian residents residing in Abbotsford.”

Sharma is a graduate of University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) and an English as a Second Language teacher at St. John Brebeuf school.

She and other UFV alumni have started an organization called I Lead Abby.

“We hope to just really try to do our best within the community to bridge gaps, and eventually we’ll try to target the youth within the community and cater to that divisiveness,” she said.

For more information, Sharma can be contacted via email at ileadabbotsford@gmail.com.