Transcript Who we are Ce que nous sommes

BEST PRACTICES IN
THE ELIMINATION OF
RACISM AND RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION
Outline
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Introduction to the CRRF
Some “Best Practices”
Definition of racism
Strategies to Combat Racism
Approaches to Anti-Racism Strategy
Conclusion
Who we are
Ce que nous sommes
• Founded as part of the
Japanese Canadian Redress
Agreement
• Established in 1996 with a $24
million one-time endowment,
negotiated by the Japanese
Canadian community
• A Crown Corporation,
operating at arm’s length from
the federal government and a
portfolio corporation CIC
• Un organisme né de l’Entente
de redressement à l’égard des
Canadiens japonais
• Mis sur pied en 1996 grâce à
un fonds de dotation de 24
millions de dollars négocié par
la communauté canadienne
d’origine japonaise
• Une société d’État, exerçant
ses activités indépendamment
du gouvernement fédéral,
faisant partie du portefeuille de
CIC
Who we are (cont’d)
Ce que nous sommes (suite)
• Operation is funded primarily
from the interests on the
investment of the endowment
fund
• Has registered charitable
status
• The Chairperson, Board of
Directors and the Executive
Director are Governor-inCouncil appointees
• Un organisme dont les
activités sont principalement
financées par les intérêts
générés par notre fonds de
dotation
• Un organisme de bienfaisance
enregistré
• Un organisme dont le
président, les membres du
conseil d’administration et le
directeur général sont
nommés par le gouverneur en
conseil
What we do
Ce que nous faisons
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We work towards the elimination of
racism and racial discrimination by,
among other things:
Undertaking research, collecting data
and developing a national information
base;
– Being a clearinghouse for
information about race relations;
– Facilitating consultations
– Promoting effective anti-racism
training and education
– Raising public awareness of the
importance of eliminating racism
– Supporting and promoting the
development of effective policies
and programs for the elimination
of racism and racial discrimination
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Nous nous efforçons d’éliminer le
racisme et la discrimination raciale :
– en effectuant des recherches, en
recueillant des données et en
établissant une base d'information
nationale
– en servant de centre d'information
dans le domaine des relations
raciales
– en facilitant la consultation
– par la promotion d'une formation
et d’un enseignement efficaces
dans le domaine de la lutte contre
le racisme
– en sensibilisant le public quant à
l'importance de l'élimination du
racisme
– par l’encouragement et la
promotion de l’élaboration de
politiques et de programmes
efficaces pour l’élimination du
racisme et de la discrimination
raciale
How we do it (examples)
Par quels moyens
• AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE
– Recognizing outstanding
initiatives in anti-racism
work
– Symposium to share
information and facilitate
networking among
organizations and agencies
• PRIX D’EXCELLENCE
– Reconnaissance
d’initiatives exceptionnelles
dans le domaine de la lutte
contre le racisme
– Colloque favorisant le
partage de l’information et
l’établissement de réseaux
entre les organismes
How we do it (cont’d)
Par quels moyens (suite)
• EDUCATION & TRAINING
– Develops and delivers
diversity, equity and human
rights education within an antiracism framework
• WEBSITE (www.crrf-fcrr.ca)
– Working toward providing the
most comprehensive
information in anti-racism
• ÉDUCATION ET FORMATION
– Préparation et prestation d’un
enseignement en matière de
diversité, d’équité et de droits
de la personne ainsi que de la
formation s’inscrivant dans le
cadre de la lutte contre le
racisme
• SITE WEB (www.crrf-fcrr.ca)
– Centre de ressources le plus
complet en matière de lutte
contre le racisme
Best Practices in the Elimination
of Racism
• Succeeding in the elimination of racism and
racial discrimination takes time and commitment.
The true cultural shifts happen when a number
of best practices from different sectors in society
are in place.
• A best practice is a “technique or methodology
that, through experience and research, has
proven to reliably lead to a desired result.”
What is Racism?
• In looking at some of the conceptual challenges
associated with defining racism, it is important to
keep in mind that the definition is not a matter of
semantics. It is an essential and fundamental
step in the development of strategies and
approaches to eliminate racism.
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Estable, Alma; Trickey, Jean; Tobo-Gillespie, Lulama, and Meyer, Mechthild (1999).
Transforming Our Organizations. A Tool for Planning and Monitoring Antiracism/multicultural Change. Ottawa: ACCESS Committee of Ottawa-Carleton.
• There is no consistent and agreed-upon way within,
and much less across, social research disciplines
and literature to define racism.
• There is also no agreed-upon operationalization of
the concept.
• The challenge is two-fold. Should we: 1) establish a
definition of the different segments of the population
who are impacted by racism--racial groups, ethnic
groups, linguistic groups, visible minority groups,
Aboriginals, First Nation, Status Indians, etc., or 2)
develop definitions of the social processes through
which inequality between groups is created or
perpetuated?
• Albert Memmi’s The Colonizer and the
Colonized, notes that “Racism gives
generalized and definitive value to real or
imaginary differences, for the benefit of an
accuser and to the detriment of its victim,
in order to justify aggression or privilege”.
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Memmi, Albert, The Colonizer and the Colonized, Orion Press, 1965, reprinted,
Beacon Press, 1984.
• Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism defines
racism as “...a complex issue which has social
and economic consequences for both victims
and beneficiaries. Moreover, racism takes many
forms. It can be direct and overt; referring to
attitudes, actions, policies and practices that
openly embody the assumption that one ethnoracial group is superior to, or more deserving
than, another.”
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A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism (Department of Canadian Heritage,
Ottawa:2005), pp. 7-8.
• The Canadian Race Relations Foundation
defines racism as “A mix of prejudice and power
leading to domination and exploitation of one
group (the dominant or majority group) over
another (the non-dominant, minority or racialized
group). It asserts that the one group is supreme
and superior while the other is inferior. Racism is
any individual action, or institutional practice
backed by institutional power, which
subordinates people because of their colour or
ethnicity.” CRRF, Glossary (Toronto: 2005)
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The CRRF will be revising this definition to reflect the evolving nature of racism
• The Ontario Human Rights Commission notes in its Policy and
Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination (2005) that
terminology is fluid and what is considered most appropriate will
likely evolve over time.
• As for a definition of racism, the Commission indicates that “there is
no legitimate scientific basis for racial classification....It is now
recognized that notions of race are primarily centred on social
processes that seek to construct differences among groups with the
effect of marginalizing some in society.” To avoid the pitfalls of a
narrow definition, the Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on
Racism and Racial Discrimination include reference to how racism
operates, types of racial discrimination, and systemic (institutional)
dimensions of racism.
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Ontario Human Rights Commission, noted in its Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination (2005)
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Several key themes may be identified from the Commission’s Policy, which
have a direct impact on the definition.
Racism is a socially constructed way of judging, categorizing and creating
differences among people; it operates at several levels, including individual,
systemic or institutional and societal;
Racial discrimination can be impacted by colour, ethnic origin, and place of
origin, ancestry and creed.
Race can overlap or intersect with factors such as groups such as sex,
disability, sexual orientation, age and family status to create unique or
compounded experiences of discrimination.
There is interrelationship between economic status, marginalization and
social exclusion and racism and the intersectional nature of racial
discrimination.
Ibid., p. 3.
• The Commission also recognizes the evolving nature of
racism. For example, in its Policy, the Commission
defined Islamophobia as “A contemporary and emerging
form of racism in Canada. It can be described as
stereotypes, bias or acts of hostility towards individual
Muslims or followers of Islam in general. In addition to
individual acts of intolerance and racial profiling,
Islamophobia leads to viewing Muslims as a greater
security threat on an institutional, systemic and societal
level.”
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Ibid., p. 7.
• We may also add anti-semitism as an example. Although
anti-semitism has been with us for centuries, it continues
to manifest itself in many forms. The B’nai Brith audit of
anti-semitism for 2007-2008
• Writing on Multiculturalism vs. Anti-Racism, Augie Fleras notes:
“Most Canadians are no longer racists in the classic sense of
blatantly vilifying minority women and men. Yet racism continues to
fester in unobtrusive ways, deliberately or unconsciously, through
action or inaction. Racism is rarely experienced in an immediate and
obvious manner, but through constant and cumulative impact of
demeaning incidents that quietly accumulate into a ton of feathers.”
• He outlines the contrast that while Canada remains at the forefront
in fighting racism at individual and institutional levels, there is
mounting evidence that racism is an everyday reality for many
Canadians of colour, that racism is not some relic from the past.
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Fleras, Augie, Multiculturalism vs. Anti-Racsim, in Canadian Diversity, Vol. 5:2, Spring 2006.
United Nations International Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination”.
• Conceptually, racism is accepted as a social process
which results in racial discrimination and inequality. “The
term ‘racial discrimination’ shall mean any distinction,
exclusion, restriction or preference based on race,
colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the
purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing,
of human rights and fundamental freedom in the political,
economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.”
• In conclusion:
– racism is an evolving social construct;
– It targets the “other”;
– it intersects with other variables, such as religion,
language, and ethnicity.
Some Best Practices
• BMO-Financial Group (2005 AoE recipient)
In 1990, BMO’s president took an industry leadership
role in sponsoring the Task Force on the Advancement
of Women. The Task Force indicated that work needed
to be done in the advancement of four groups: women,
Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, and visible
minorities. The Task Force produced its report, which
laid the groundwork for addressing barriers to
employment. The report marked a turning point in BMO’s
history towards achieving an equitable workplace, a
diverse workforce, and meeting the needs of a culturally
and geographically varied customer base.
• The Task Force Report identified three main
barriers to women’s advancement at BMO: (1)
false assumptions regarding ability to advance
to senior level positions; (2) lack of
encouragement about, and access to,
opportunities in senior level positions, and (3)
the need to balance multiple commitments.
• These barriers were identified as applicable to
all groups, including visible minorities.
• Best Practice: senior management commitment;
institutional value; policy; implementation.
SaskTel (2005 AoE Recepient)
• In 2004, SaskTel developed a
comprehensive Representative Workforce
Strategy (RWS) by building upon and
expanding its existing diversity initiatives,
such as its Aboriginal Participation
Initiative, which was developed in 1999.
The overall goal of the strategy is to
increase representation while addressing
workplace readiness that supports an
inclusive work environment.
• SaskTel strategy embraced business development, employment,
education, marketing, and corporate citizenship initiatives through
partnerships with the Aboriginal community.
• SaskTel’s Aboriginal Recruitment Strategy increased the hiring of
permanent full-time Aboriginal employees by thirty-one percent over
the previous four years (representing 11% of total permanent hires).
• In order to reduce organizational resistance to change, SaskTel’s
initiatives were phased in slowly and comprised educational
components relaying the importance of a diverse work force; this
strategy resulted in a smooth transition.
• Best practices: commitment, policy, managing diversity and
implementation.
Canadian Pacific (2008 AoE Recipient)
• Canadian Pacific’s (CP) diversity strategy
focused on providing Aboriginal and
Chinese Canadians equal employment
opportunities. CP launched a number of
initiatives acknowledging and
commemorating Chinese Canadian culture
and their contributions towards Canadian
history, highlighting those made during the
construction of the Canadian Pacific
Railway.
• CP contributed to the production of a documentary
entitled “Chinese Grit”, released a two coin
commemorative set to recognize the 120th anniversary of
the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
• It took various measures to reach out to the 107 First
Nations reserves that neighbour the CP railway in an
effort to develop solid, collaborative relationships with
those First Nations. Since 1999, CP negotiated property
tax jurisdiction agreements with B.C. First Nations. The
property tax agreements recognize the First Nations’
property taxation jurisdiction over portions of the CP
railway running through their reserves.
• Aboriginal employees currently account for over 3% of CP Rail’s
Canadian employee population and in 2004, Canadian Business
Magazine named the company as one of the highest ranking
employers of Aboriginal peoples. Various departments within the
company, including the Real Estate Group, Environmental Services,
Safety & Regulatory Affairs, HR and the Canadian Pacific Police
continue to work regularly with the First Nations Band Councils and
committees.
- In November 2007, the official signing of an
agreement that proposes a new Canadian
solution to CP’s need for disposing of scrap
railway cross ties took place between CP and
leaders of the Aboriginal Cogeneration
Corporation.
- Working with First Nations and the Government
of Canada to address historic claims related to
railways.
- Best Practices: legal, administrative, public
affairs.
CMARD
• The Canadian Commission for UNESCO,
along with the Canadian Race Relations
Foundation and a number of provincial
human rights commissions across the
country, joined forces in 2005 to establish
the Coalition of Municipalities Against
Racism (CMARD).
• The objective of CMARD is the elimination
of racism and racial discrimination.
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Municipal governments, along with local and national organizations, have an
important role to play in combating racism and discrimination and fostering equality
and respect for all citizens.
Local communities function at the most practical level and are most involved in the
lives of their residents. They are an ideal place to develop policies, programs and
strategies, and take meaningful action toward eliminating racism and discrimination.
Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination promotes
human rights through coordination and shared responsibility among local
governments, civil society organizations and other democratic institutions.
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By taking action to combat racism and multiple forms of discrimination, municipalities
are able to build respectful, inclusive and safe societies where everyone has an equal
opportunity to participate in the economic, social, cultural, recreational and political
life of the community.
Best practices: promote awareness of anti-racism; provide platform for exchange of
best practices; act as source of information.
(AoE 2003) Canadian Bar Association:
• The CBA implemented several changes
within its political and administrative
systems and structures to both advance
racial equality within the legal profession
(legal education and practice as well as
within the judiciary), and within Canadian
law and society. These changes were
reflected in by-law amendments,
committee structures, and allocation of
resources in the CBA.
• Consistent with changes to legislation, the
increasing recognition of the rights to selfdetermination of Aboriginal peoples, and the
increasing racialization of Canadian society, the
CBA initiated several changes such as the
establishment of CBA’s committee and section
structure to address equality issues impacting on
Aboriginal people and racialized groups—the
Aboriginal Law section, the Citizenship and
Immigration section, the Standing Committee on
Equality, and the Racial Equality Implementation
Committee.
• The CBA adopted numerous resolutions, presented briefs to
governments, and convened many educational sessions on equality
issues.
• The CBA faced numerous challenges in addressing issues of racial
equality:
• Members of the legal profession have a strong belief in the
objectivity of the “rule of law” and, as such, do not generally adhere
to notions that the law is inherently flawed, betraying biases that
have negative impact on socially subordinate groups. The CBA
addressed this issue within its governing structure and membership
as well as in taking on its advocacy and public education work.
• Best practices: introducing a new institutional culture; adopting
governance strategy of diversity; adopting a new committee
structure.
Community Builders, Youth
Leadership Initiative (AoE 2003)
• The Youth Leadership Initiative is a
community-based program developed in
partnership with elementary schools that
aims to make sustainable change in
school cultures. It is based on a leadership
model that empowers students (grades 58) to educate their peers about how
racism and other mistreatments/exclusion
affect us all. The goal is to make schools
more inclusive.
• Community Builders’ purpose is to empower young
people with the vision, skills and confidence to be
leaders in the building of caring and equitable school
communities. It takes elementary students through three
years of leadership development in the areas of
inclusion, non-violent conflict resolution, and peer
support listening. Each year, the students attend a fourday leadership institute with students from other schools.
Once completed, the students return to their schools and
participate in workshops and special projects to impact
other students.
• Best practices: empowerment; education and training;
awareness.
Common Elements in the Best Practices
Currently there are no generic resource books that can be used
throughout diverse communities as a framework for developing longterm anti-racism strategies or best practices. One size does not fit
all.
Regardless of the differences, the various best practices share the
following characteristics:
Knowing the community
Each organization understood the specificity of its community. Each
organization identified the needs, deficiencies and problems of the
community, and assessed the strengths, resources and abilities.
Education/information sharing
A key piece to the development of long -term anti-racism
strategy, which is found in the various best practices, is the ability
to develop education initiatives, and to share information about
the issues. By sharing information, all the stakeholders will have
a better understanding of the issues and can begin to develop a
common language to express their concerns. Workshops may
include diversity, stereotypes, racism, homophobia, sexism.
• The visioning and Action Plan
The above examples developed and promoted not only new
linkages and relationships among individuals, agencies,
associations and institutions, but also a vision of the type of
society that each organization aspired to achieve. Each
organization identified its goals, objectives, implementation
components and activities, and provided realistic timelines.
Depending on the mandate background and
membership of each organization, the various best
practices adopted one or more of the following
approaches:
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intercultural
legal compliance
managing diversity
prejudice reduction
Valuing differences;
Anti-racism
*Patti DeRosa, Change Works Consulting, 2001
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The intercultural approach
The primary focus of the intercultural approach is the development of
cross-cultural understanding and communication between people and
nations. It examines the ways in which human beings speak, reason,
gesture, act, think and believe. It tries to help develop sensitivity to the
cultural roots of one’s own behaviour, as well as an awareness of the
richness and variety of values and assumptions of peoples of other
cultures.
In this approach, ignorance, cultural misunderstanding, and value
clashers are seen as the problem, and increased cultural awareness,
knowledge and tolerance are the solutions.
Cultural identity and ethnicity are the focus, while racial identity is not
often examined. Cultural simulation games, that attempt to provide
participants with the feeling of encountering a different culture are
fundamental in this approach as are activities that explore the
similarities and differences of culturally specific worldviews and values.
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The classic legal compliance approach uses words like “affirmative
action,” and ‘equal opportunity”. It is based in legal theory, civil rights
law, and human resource development strategies. It is primarily
concerned with monitoring the recruitment, hiring, and promotional
procedures affecting women and people of colour so as to increase
representation in the organization and comply with anti-discrimination
laws.
From a legal compliance perspective, the optimal state of race relations
is “colorblindness”, a state in which “people are just people” and
differences are not taken into account or remarked upon.
The problem is identified as individual biases, lack of compliance with
civil rights law, and exclusionary procedures within the organization or
institution. A main driver is often the avoidance of costly discrimination
lawsuits. Training and remedies are found in laws, regulations, and
requirements. People are told about goals and objectives.
The Managing Diversity Approach
• It has a very strong presence nationally, particularly in
corporations, and receives much attention in the mainstream
media. The driving force is that the demographics are rapidly
changing. To survive and thrive in the 21st century, business and
institutions must tap into the diverse labour pool and customer
base. One hears phrases like “competitive edge”, and the
“changing demographics”. The term “managing diversity” itself
seems to imply that if diversity is not “managed”, it will somehow
get out of control, begging the question: who is supposed to
manage whom and why?
• This approach targets training of managers of an organization.
Conflict resolution techniques are included in the strategy, and
racism and sexism are identified as problems to be addressed
only inasmuch as they affect the bottom line.
The Prejudice Reduction Approach
It has its roots in the re-evaluation counselling
movement. Re-evaluation Counselling theory asserts
that all human beings are born with tremendous
intellectual and emotional potential but that these
qualities become blocked and obscured as we grow
older, from “distress experiences such as fear, hurt, loss,
pain, anger, etc. This approach teaches people to help
free one another from the effects of these past hurts. As
a diversity training model, this approach explores and
seeks to heal past hurts caused by prejudice and bigotry.
The Valuing Differences Approach
• The term “valuing differences” is sometimes
interchanged with “managing diversity”, but they are not
the same. Rather than ignoring human differences, this
approach recognizes and celebrates them as the fuel of
creativity and innovation. This approach sees conflict as
the result of an inability to recognize and value human
differences, implying that the solution lies in learning
about ourselves and one another. It talks about
capitalizing on our differences to help organizations
reach their fullest potential. Its core value is to recognize
individual uniqueness while also acknowledging different
group identities.
The Anti-Racism Approach
• This approach is at the heart of the ‘diversity movement”, for
without it, the other approaches would not exist. Based on an
understanding of the history of racism and oppression, this
expressly political approach emphasizes distinctions between
personal prejudice and institutional racism. The goals are not
limited to improved interpersonal relations between people of
different races, but include a total restructuring of relationships.
• This approach has a number of limitations, as we need to move
away from the self-righteous approach, and the focus on
educating White people. It focused exclusively on black-white
issues. The struggles of other racial groups are usually not fully
included and there was a reluctance to explore sexism and other
biases.
• In conclusion, our sample of best practices
shows that one size does not fit all. Each
organization adopted the approach which
reflects its mandate, membership, needs
and vision.
• The ideal approach is to rely on the
strength of all approaches, and
acknowledge cultural dynamics and
understand the need for legal support.