Simon Fraser University

<< Back to Web version

Community



Second-year students l-r: Victor Okolie, Jerry Agudogo and Kayode Fatuba have 2,000 tickets to sell to SFU students for a Sept. 21 K’Naan concert at the Burnaby campus. Visit www.ivisiononeworld.org/peaceday2010 for ticket sales locations on campus.

K’Naan coming!

September 9, 2010

When Kayode Fatoba began looking for musicians to perform at his SFU club’s World Peace Day celebration Sept. 21 at the Burnaby campus, he never expected to snag internationally acclaimed hip-hop artist, K’Naan.

After all, the Somali-Canadian sensation, who performed his 2010 FIFA South Africa World Cup anthem Wavin’ Flag in 86 countries and to a TV audience in the billions, wouldn’t have time for some 2,000 fans in Convocation Mall.

But Fatoba, president of I Vision One World (IVOW), which is holding the fundraiser to help underprivileged students in developing nations attend university in their countries, contacted K’Naan anyway.

And he said yes.

"We were extremely lucky," says the Nigerian-born second-year health sciences undergrad. "He’s on a world tour, but he’s in Vancouver with no shows on that day and he liked our cause."

The theme of IVOW’s second annual World Peace Day event is access to education, and the 8:30 pm-1 am concert with K’Naan and other performers will top off a full day of related activities including:

  • 12-6 pm: Speeches (in Maggie Benston Centre), spoken word performances, games, food, club information booths, a welcome desk and music from Foundation Radio a locally based progressive Internet and podcast station.
  • 6-8 pm: I Vision One World Scholarship fundraising dinner at Club Ilia.
"Everyone from the SFU community and beyond is welcome to the dinner," says Fatoba. "We’re hoping to raise $10,000 for students this year in Kenya to go to school. It costs $600 - $1,200 to go to university there, so we’ll be able to help eight to 16 kids who wouldn’t be able to go otherwise."

IVOW is working with other campus organizations and more than 50 volunteers from Fraser International College, SFU and surrounding high schools to stage the celebration.

Convocation Mall will be fenced off for the evening concert. Only SFU students may purchase up to three tickets each with valid student identification at various venues around campus. Tickets are currently $30, although Fatoba says that’s "subject to change." For more, visit: www.ivisiononeworld.org/peaceday2010. By Stuart Colcleugh