NORTH BAY SYMPOSIUM - THUNDER BAY REPORT
The following is a draft of the presentation made by the RMYC at the Northern Ontario Symposium in North Bay, February 1 - 2, 2007.
Good morning distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
My name is Pauline Fogarty, and this is Martin Zhang.I am a Past President of the Regional Multicultural Youth Council -- the RMYC. We also have two of our members Ashley Atatise and Farisai Makuto manning our ‘bragging booth’.
We are here representing the Youth Council and the Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario (MANWO, our parent organization, where I have been a board member during my term as RMYC president. Moffat Makuto, the Executive Director and Regional Multicultural Consultant was invited to give a report about our community, Thunder Bay, and the region we cover, and he has asked us as up-coming leaders, to share with you what is happening in our area in regards to race relations.
I will begin by providing you with a brief history of the RMYC. The Youth Council was established in 1985 by MANWO as a legacy of the International Youth Year. We are a regional network linking youth in small isolated communities across Northwestern Ontario–a region covering two-thirds the land-mass of this province. We work with children and youth to promote equality, social justice and use a youth-to-youth strategy to empower ourselves to make a difference.
We believe that youth should have a voice on advisory boards and committees that have
an impact their well-being. As such, in addition to having a seat on the MANWO board, the RMYC is has been involved with the:
* Thunder Bay City Council’s Race Relations Committee
* Thunder Chamber of Commerce Community Issues Committee
* The Community Advisory Committee on Race Relations to the Thunder Bay Police
* The Lakehead Public and Catholic School Boards’ Anti-racism Policy Development Committees
* Thunder Bay Violence Prevention Action Committee,
* Thunder Bay, Aboriginal Inter-agency Council
* The Ontario Attorney General’s Youth Advisory Committee on youth engagement in the democratic process
* Premier’s Committee on Ontario in Confederation
* Community Coalition for the Protection of Children and Youth, &
* Diversity Thunder Bay
For our work on race relations, social justice and equality, the RMYC has been awarded:
* The Lakehead Social Planning Council Award for Equality and Social Justice
* The J.S. Woodsworth Award for Social Justice
* The Royal Commonwealth Youth Service Award for the RMYC Orientation Program to welcome Aboriginal students from remote northern communities to urban high schools.
* The Canadian Race Relations Foundation Award of Distinction
I should also add that:
* Three RMYC officers Tamara McDonald, Miriam Figueroa, and Terra Campbell have been recipients of the Lincoln Alexander Award for Race Relations since they were introduced in 1993 – a record accomplishment fort one group.
* Naana Jumah, as RMYC President received the Canadian Council for Multicultural and Intercultural Education Youth Award.
* During my term as RMYC President, I won the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for young volunteers, and Heather McMullen, who took over the position from me won the same award two years later. This was in acknowledgment of our work to create an inclusive multicultural youth centre where we all learn to get along.
* I should also add that many of our members have been recipients of the City of Thunder Bay Youth of Exceptional Achievement Awards, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Medals, Canada Day Youth Awards, and Ontario Volunteer Youth Service Awards fort being involved in various programs that foster racial harmony and promote national unity.
With the help of MANWO, we are being challenged to be positive role models and young leaders of an increasingly diverse Canada.
Now I will let Martin provide you with a brief summary of the Youth Council’s activities related to improving race relations.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen:
I am Martin Zhang, a member of the Regional Multicultural Youth Council executive.
I am pleased to share with you the highlights from our recently completed Youth for Safer Communities Project where the issue of racism was identified as a growing concern in Northwestern Ontario. From youth focus groups, workshops and a regional youth conference, we learned that.
* Most racial incidents in Northwestern Ontario are between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. They include racial slurs, racial jokes, name-calling, racist graffiti, abuse, taunting about skin colour, fights, assaults and out-right discrimination.
* In schools, there are often divisions between native and white students. There is not much mixing, and name calling and bullying are common. When fights occur, teachers usually just separate the students and it is often the native students who get suspended or expelled. If police are called, Aboriginal students are generally blamed for taking matters into their own hands and instigating the assault. When charges are laid, tensions escalate. It is hard to feel safe when there is fear of reprisal.
* It is true that Aboriginal kids tend to hang around together, and do not mix with other students. But, this is often due to the need for acceptance and personal security given the taunting and name calling that often goes on. We do not feel that they want to create a “native reserve” in the City. If the environment was more friendly, many would break out of their cliques since they are just as curious to learn about other cultures as is the case at our Multicultural Youth Centre.
* Racial minority youths feel differential treatment by those in authority. In shopping malls, they do not get prompt service compared to their white peers, are followed and closely watched in shops as if they are there to steal. This prejudice often extends to hiring patterns, housing and opportunities for trials in team sports.
Our initiatives to create a racism-free learning environment, and equal opportunities for participation in every aspect of Canadian life include the following:
* Encouraging school boards to incorporate multiculturalism in the curriculum, use inclusive materials, and hire staff who reflect the diversity of the student population and our community. We are proud to report that the RMYC has successfully convinced Lakehead University and Confederation College to produce promotional materials that reflect the diversity on campus. In addition, the Thunder Bay Telephone directory and other City brochures and posters now also reflect the community’s diversity.
* Working with schools to encourage and support students in organizing activities that celebrate our diversity and promote racial understanding. For example, participating in special days and events such as March 21, The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Human Rights Day, Citizenship Week and so forth, can promote awareness and help to reduce racist attitudes that stem from ignorance and fear of those who have a different skin colour.
* Recommending that school staff are familiar with policies on race relations, and racial and sexual harassment. They should also have cultural sensitivity training to enable them to deal with issues of racial discrimination and harassment.
* Mobilizing students to say “NO” to racism, and encouraging them to report racist incidents when they occur so that teachers know what is going to take appropriate action and address the problem before it escalates into violence.
* Encouraging staff to a conscious effort to mix students in working groups and working with student councils so that they are inclusive and represent everyone.
* Promoting peer mediation as part of school policies to enable students to address grievances, diffuse racial tension and resolve conflicts by talking things out.
* Sensitizing governments, businesses and institutions to be inclusive in their hiring practices, and show leadership in recruiting and training qualified employees and staff who reflect the communities they serve.
* Recommending that governments consider social justice as part of our collective security, provide adequate funding to promote policies and community based programs that enable all citizens have equal access, equal opportunities, and participate equally in every aspect of Canadian life.
* Engage society in dialogue to engage marginalized groups, racial minorities and new immigrants on the services and supports they needed to facilitate integration into the social mainstream and minimize the alienation that can lead to violent protests, acts of civil disobedience, or even terrorist activities.
The RMYC’s race relations campaign primarily targets children and youth. Our current focus is on schools because educational institutions enlighten us, and play an important role in shaping our collective vision on social justice and equality for future generations.
Since we are dependent population in transition, we are reaching out to adults, funders, policy and decision-makers to support our work and join hands to reach the goal of eliminating racism
for future and successive generations.
Thank you for this opportunity to address you.
Thank you Martin.
As I mentioned earlier, the RMYC and MANWO are co-founding members of Diversity Thunder Bay, – a coalition of community groups working on race relations and social justice in the City of Thunder Bay. I will now provide a summary of our activities with Diversity Thunder Bay.
About four years ago, Diversity Thunder Bay completed a study on race relations in Thunder Bay, and released a report “A Community of Acceptance: Respect for Thunder Bay’s Diversity”.
The findings revealed that business establishments such as stores and restaurants had the highest number of racial incidents, followed by schools, work places, recreational facilities, College and University, health services and government services. City streets were last.
As a follow up to the study, Diversity Thunder Bay has been working on the following initiatives:
1. Implementing Diversity in Police Services. This includes doing a full policy review and analysis with respect to bias and barriers.
2. Developing a video specifically aimed at recruiting Aboriginal police recruits.
3. Developing training initiatives and materials in order to better equip officers with diversity skills. Plans are to liaise with Edmonton - to learn about anti-profiling and anti-racism training for Police
4. Sharing achievements of the project with the community so that these initiatives can make a difference.
Anti-racism initiatives include:
1. Working with the new Thunder Bay City Council to review the City’s race relations/anti-racism strategy, and status with the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism the City joined last year.
2. Following up with the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce to display decals on businesses promoting Status cards
3. Promoting March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year we plan to have a breakfast launch focusing on education and a snap-shot of Thunder Bay--four years after the Diversity Thunder Bay study.
* The RMYC co-chairs the local March 21 campaign. Each year we make and distribute thousands of Multicultural Bows of Black, Red, White and Yellow ribbons symbolizing the colours of the human race united in harmony. We send some to our Members of Parliament in Ottawa, and Members of the Provincial Legislature at Queen’s Park in Toronto. The Youth Council also co-ordinates March 21 presentations in schools.
4. Developing an Aboriginal settlement and relocation assistance services committee similar to what exists for new immigrants and refugees.
5. Liaising with Aboriginal agencies to create a place of safety "Meno Wakiagun" – sobering up centre backed by a Street Patrol.
6. Working with the Northern Ontario Municipal Association to provide a voice on diversity in the region, Multiculturalism, Immigration, anti-racism, social justice etc.)
We have more information on anti-racism initiatives and samples of the Multicultural Bows at our display table. Ashley and Farisai will be pleased to explain resources materials we have. You are welcome to ask any questions about our presentation. Moffat Makuto, the MANWO staff who has worked in this field longer than any of us is also here as our back-up should his expertise be required.
Thank you all for listening