The Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat has launched its anti-racism summit series. The summits bring together diverse groups of community and political leaders, academics, activists, and members with intersectional identities from racialized communities, religious minorities and Indigenous Peoples.
The Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat has launched its anti-racism summit series. The summits bring together diverse groups of community and political leaders, academics, activists, and members with intersectional identities from racialized communities, religious minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Already the events have reached over 300,000 in Canada and in other parts of the world. During each summit, participants share critical ideas on ways government and communities can continue charting a path forward to combat racism and discrimination. The information gathered is helping to shape a new national anti-racism action plan to be launched in 2022.
National Summit on Antisemitism
On July 21, 2021, the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, and the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, convened a virtual National Summit on Antisemitism to identify ways in which organizations, communities, individuals, and the federal government can work together to increase public awareness, enhance community security, combat misinformation and online hate, and identify new measures necessary to combat antisemitism.
Organized by the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, the summit brought together diverse Jewish community leaders, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal ministers, members of Parliament, and officials from provincial and municipal governments. The summit provided the opportunity for ministers, policymakers, and program administrators to listen to the concerns of community leaders, better understand the pervasiveness of antisemitism in Canada, and identify concrete steps the government can take to address the issues facing Jewish communities. Discussions also focussed on how the federal government should work with Jewish communities to implement or improve existing programs, as well as develop new proactive and responsive initiatives that address antisemitism and hate.
Following the summit, the Government of Canada committed to the following initial actions:
- Engage with Jewish communities on the Government’s next anti-racism action plan, which will be launched when the 2019–2022 Anti-Racism Strategy comes to an end;
- Explore potential adjustments to the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP), Anti-Racism Action Program (ARAP), Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI) and other relevant/related programs to enhance effectiveness and to be more responsive to community needs. These programs will continue to dismantle white supremacist groups, monitor hate groups, and take action to combat hate everywhere, including online;
- Building on lessons learned to improve digital literacy and tackling misinformation;
- A renewed focus on dedicated resources to support the work within government to combat antisemitism and all forms of hate, including the work of Special Envoy, Irwin Cotler;
- Take a whole of government approach by working with departments across the government to take further action on these priorities.
Minister Chagger also announced support for two projects that address antisemitism and hate through the Anti-Racism Action Program. These projects aim to tackle online hate and employment-related barriers facing religious minorities, as well as support inter-community outreach and cultural sensitivity training.
National Summit on Islamophobia
On July 22, 2021, the Government of Canada held a virtual National Summit on Islamophobia. Organized by the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, and convened by the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, the summit provided a national platform for Muslim communities to identify concrete ways to combat Islamophobia across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened the summit by reiterating the government’s solidarity with Muslim communities across Canada and its commitment to combat and denounce Islamophobia and all forms of racism and discrimination.
During the summit, federal ministers, Members of Parliament, and officials from provincial and municipal governments, listened to the lived experiences of Muslim Canadians from across the country. Attendees identified ways the federal government should work with Muslim communities to implement federal anti-racism initiatives that address Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence. During the summit, the Government of Canada committed to:
- Engage with Muslim communities on the government’s next Anti-Racism Action Plan, which will be launched when the 2019–2022 Anti-Racism Strategy comes to an end;
- Explore potential adjustments to the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP), Anti-Racism Action Program (ARAP), Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI) and other relevant/related programs to enhance effectiveness and to be more responsive to community needs. These programs will continue to dismantle white supremacist groups, monitor hate groups, and take action to combat hate everywhere, including online;
- Building on lessons learned to improve digital literacy and tackling misinformation;
- A renewed focus on dedicated resources to support the work within government to combat Islamophobia and all forms of hate;
- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, has requested that the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson conduct a systemic study to address the concerns of Muslim led charitable organizations;
- Take a whole-of-government approach by working with departments across the government to take further action on these priorities.
Minister Chagger also announced support for 8 projects tackling Islamophobia through the Anti-Racism Action Program. Additionally, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade and Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, announced funding for 150 projects representing over $6 million to support communities at risk of hate-motivated crime through the Communities at Risk: Security Infrastructure Program (SIP).
Info from: Canada.ca
