March 21 to September 8 - the time for a real and relevant racial reckoning conversation in Ontario and across Canada !
Colour of Poverty
With March 21 having recently passed we need look forward to ensure we have a real and relevant racial reckoning conversation in Ontario and across Canada.
With the starting point of March 21 we at Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
( COP-COC ) - the racial justice
education and advocacy network in Ontario - want to draw attention to the March
21 through to September 8 timeline and pathway as an opportunity for Canadians
to engage in a full, inclusive and comprehensive "racial reckoning" - and racial justice change-making - conversation !
As a framework for this racial justice change-making conversation - the year 2021 is the -
70th anniversary year of the Ontario Fair Employment Practices Act
60th anniversary year of the establishment of the Ontario Human Rights Commission
50th year of Canada having ratified and acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ( ICERD )
50th anniversary year of the Multiculturalism Policy in Canada
40th anniversary year of the addition of (dis)ability as a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code
35th anniversary year of the federal Employment Equity Act
35th anniversary year of the addition of sexual orientation as a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code
25th anniversary year of the repeal of the Ontario Employment Equity Act
25th anniversary year of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples ( RCAP ) Report
20th anniversary year of the World Conference Against Racism ( WCAR - August 31 - SEPTEMBER 8, 2001 ) and its Declaration and Program of Action ( from which arises - among others - Canada's obligation to have a national Action Plan Against Racism )
5th year of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and its 94 Calls to Action
5th anniversary year of the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate
and hopefully - the year that Canada adopts through
legislation the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples !
With MARCH 21 - the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - together with all of the above - serve as a relevant framework for having a serious inclusive, multi-dimensional and ongoing adult conversation about racial justice in Ontario and across Canada - recognizing that it need include the fullness of the lived experiences of all racialized communities in our country - anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Chinese racism, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim faithism, anti-South Asian racism, anti-East Asian racism, anti-Sikh faithism, anti-Arab racism, anti-Hindu faithism, and so on !
There are so very many elements, dimensions and realities that need and should be explored in such a long overdue inclusive "racial reckoning" style exploration and action-oriented conversation - through having regular racial justice reports, articles, programs, columns, funded research as well as policy, program and practice conversations – all built around racial equity, human dignity and social justice.
Such a series of reports, articles, programs, columns, funded research and racial justice change-making conversations could take a focused look at one of the instruments or anniversary moments as listed above and/or engage them in combination with a public policy issue area, sector or current or relevant topic of focus - to address it from a broad spectrum of ethno-racial and faith informed lived realities and experiences – and again it cannot be just anti-Indigenous racism, it cannot be just anti-Black racism, and it cannot be just Islamophobia and anti-Muslim faithism - for that would ignore too many of the Ontario and Canadian historical and current lived realities and experiences.
Topics should include - but not be limited to - those as addressed in each of the Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change Fact Sheets and should always include appropriate subject matter experts for each discussion topic or issue - people representing groups like - the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres ( OFIFC ), OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic ( CSALC ), the Black Legal Action Centre ( BLAC ), the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians ( CASSA ), the Canadian Arab Federation, ( CAF ), the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario ( SALCO ), the Hispanic Development Council ( HDC ), and so on !
Given the much referenced "reckoning on race" of our present times - and the intersections of the particularly relevant instruments and anniversaries as listed above - we believe this to be a very much needed, relevant and timely ( and again long overdue ) moment and opportunity to speak clearly, fully - and on an informed basis - to the many inequities, disparities, issues and concerns - unique and shared - of the full diversity of Indigenous Peoples and peoples of colour across Ontario and Canada.
Further – and most critically - the March 21 to September 8 timeline - is a critical and timely opportunity to help inform the understanding, thinking and actions of our elected representatives and other decision-makers - in all areas and at all levels across our country - as well as for the Canadian public more generally !
We look forward to hearing of all of your ideas, activities and initiatives - to best honour and take advantage of this moment for real racial justice change-making !!
Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change Steering Committee
Access Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services
Black Legal Action Centre
Canadian Arab Federation
Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic
Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter
Council of Agencies Serving South Asians
Hispanic Development Council
Karuna Community Services
La Passerelle – I.D.E.
Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto
Midaynta Community Services
OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Punjabi Community Health Services
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario
The Neighbourhood Organization
Urban Alliance on Race Relations
Academic partner - Prof. Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Ryerson University
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Coordinator
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
# 505 - 123 Edward St.
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1E2 Canada
Phone - 416-966-3882
Fax - 416-971-6780
E-mail - kerr.m...@gmail.com
Web-site - www.colourofpoverty.ca
Colour of Change Network - https://groups.google.ca/group/ColourofChangeNetwork
YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/colourofpoverty
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/colourofpoverty.colourofchange
Twitter - @colourofpoverty #racesEDJ