How has racism changed and what are the challenges

1
How has racism changed and what are the
challenges?

• Metropolis Panel Discussion
• Meharoona Ghani
• Metropolis Presents Panel
• Ottawa, September 29, 2009
• Note that these remarks are those of the author
  and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
  Ministry of Citizens Services or the Provincial
  Government of British Columbia.

2

• Why is there division between man and man,
  between race and race, culture against culture?
  Why is there this separation?
• Krishnamurti, scholar/lecturer, b. 1895-1986

3
Overview

• How has racism changed?
• What are emerging challenges for policy makers?
• What works to address the challenges?
• What is BC doing?

4
How has racism changed?

• Does racism still exist?
• Claims
• Canadian values are under threat because of
  multiculturalism, inclusion, acceptance
• Racism/discrimination is experienced by all
  people and that all people are capable of being
  racists/discriminatory
• In order to have the not converted at the table
  and get buy-in from various sectors and
  leaders, the R word should not be used
• Whats changed?
• Racism has changed to become even more subtle,
  hidden, layered

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What are emerging challenges for policy makers?

• Emerging Broader Challenges
• To objectively define a core set of Canadian
  values and transfer these without implying that
  people from other countries do not have such
  values or racializing groups of people in the
  process
• To build more understanding about the construct
  of race history of racism and colonization
  systemic and institutional forms of racism and
  the underlying problem of power and privilege
• To avoid a complete trade-off by replacing the
  R word with more open language
• To understand intersection of identities such as
  religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc., in
  the context of racism
• On-going Program Challenges
• Community engagement
• Capacity/resources
• Sustainability/Evaluation/Monitoring
• Critical Incident Response Model small scale
  outcome evaluation and a scoping review on
  promising practices of multiculturalism and
  anti-racism programming from several
  jurisdictions, including Canada, Australia, New
  Zealand, and the UK

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What works to address the challenges?

• What we must do?
• Broader historical, systemic and institutional
  sources of racism and discrimination
• Power imbalances and privilege
• Eight promising practices
• 1. Community partnerships and capacity-building
• 2. Recognizing intersectional identities
• 3. Creating accessible programming
• 4. Promoting awareness through special events,
  recognition and cultural education
• 5. Engaging youth
• 6. Focus on arts and sports
• 7. Media intervention
• 8. Setting clear targets and measuring success

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What is BC doing?

• Implement the means for community leaders to
  address racism and hate activities
• Many small community-based awareness and
  prevention activities leverage other projects to
  sustain the work
• Build anti-racism and anti-hate activities as
  part of broader local community plans and
  leveraging resources
• EmbraceBC Six Program Elements
• Community engagement and dialogue
• Inclusive leadership development and mentorship
• Inter-faith bridging
• Organizing against racism and hate
• Public education
• Arts engagement
• www.embracebc.ca
• Final remarks
• The manifestation of racism/discrimination has
  changed
• Must understand the construct of race and the
  history of racism to address/recognize systemic
  and institutional racism and issues of power
  imbalance and privilege
• There are promising practices that work

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Bibliography

• British Columbia Multicultural Advisory Council
  (2005). Strategic Framework for Action a
  strategy to stimulate joint action on
  multiculturalism and the elimination of racism in
  British Columbia, Province of British Columbia
  (2005).
• Critical Incident Response Model small scale
  outcome evaluation report, Province of British
  Columbia, (2008).
• Harrison, Alisa et al., (2008) Promising
  Practices and New Directions in Multiculturalism
  and Anti-Racism Programming a scoping review,
  Province of British Columbia.
• Hunter, Lauren (2008) Research Themes British
  Columbia, Multiculturalism Report, 32,
  Government of Canada.
• Kymlicka, Will (2008) The Current State of
  Multiculturalism in Canada and Research Themes on
  Canadian Multiculturalism 2008-2010, Canadian
  Journal for Social Research, Vol. 2/1, pp 15-40.
• www.embracebc.ca