ASIA in Victoria is a collaborative of East Asian and Southeast Asian community groups that support their ethnocultural communities within the Capital Regional District.
ASIA in Victoria was established by three ethnocultural communities: Filipino Canadians, Japanese Canadians, and Chinese Canadians.
Bayanihan Community Centre
Victoria Chinatown Lioness Lions Club
Victoria Filipino Canadian Association
Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society
The purpose of our project is to create a collaborative space for fostering cultural, social and resource exchange between Asian (in particular ASEAN+3) societies, local communities, institutions and businesses in Victoria. To do this, our work will focus in two areas:
The development of a community of practice of ASEAN+3 community groups who will share knowledge, skills and resources as well as drawing on expertise from external community partners.
Broader visibility and integration of Asian community members in Victoria through cultural events and festivals.
Our initial collaborative has been funded by the Victoria Foundation through its Community Grants Program and by the Government of British Columbia through the Community Prosperity Fund.
We have grown to include over 20 Asian community groups in the Greater Victoria Area and we are building new connections every day.
From grant writing workshops to our annual Summits, we empower East Asian and Southeast Asian community organizations to share knowledge and connect cross-culturally in Greater Victoria.
To better support our members, ASIA in Victoria identifies and addresses the specific needs of our diverse community groups. Through our small group discussions, we have pinpointed six key areas where we are focusing our collaborative efforts:
Training in grant writing, identifying funding sources, and managing sponsorships or fundraisers.
Advocating for shared meeting, event, and kitchen spaces throughout the region.
Connecting our members with local funders, social service providers, and other community organizations.
Increasing awareness of available local services to better support our individual community members.
Bridging gaps in specialized areas like IT, Communications, and technical trades.
Fostering a system where larger societies provide capacity-building support to smaller community groups.
Volunteer Pooling: We consolidate volunteer resources to provide extra support for each organization’s individual events.
Promotion Network: We act as a central information hub where member organizations can promote their events to a wider audience.
Strategic Networking: We provide a space for groups to build networks with each other and connect with key partners like funders, volunteers, and capacity builders.
Capacity-Building Workshops: We offer training sessions including grant writing, volunteer recruitment, and society registration to increase organizational strength.
Community Connection: We help groups connect with the broader Victoria community to increase cross-cultural exchange and support resource development.