Resources for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

/

Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

September 30th is the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day.

Please see a list of resources below. We hope these will help to make September 30th an impactful day of learning and reflection for you.

For more information about September 30th, see our previous post.

Articles & Readings

Audio & Video

Orange Shirt Vendors

We advise you to check the About and FAQs of any vendor you visit to purchase an orange shirt and encourage you to support Indigenous artists and organizations, and Indigenous-owned businesses.

Featured
unsplash-image-29UC1UZK8KM.jpg
Resources for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
unsplash-image-8oss2jSaMGE.jpg
National Indigenous History Month 2022
unsplash-image-wuxdtGMNYaU.jpg
Pride Events

National Indigenous History Month 2022

/

Photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash

June is National Indigenous History Month. It is a time for Indigenous Peoples to celebrate their history with pride and to pass down their cultures, languages, and protocols to the next generation. For non-Indigenous people, it is a month to recognize, learn about, and honour the diverse histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada. 

Indigenous Peoples in Canada continue to face injustice and systemic discrimination. Examples include a lack of drinkable water on reserves and high poverty rates among Indigenous communities. The legacy of Residential School system also continues to impact communities through intergenerational trauma.

This month is also Pride Month, a month to celebrate LGBTQ+ rights and recognize the injustice LGBTQ+ individuals and communities face every day. Indigenous philosophies of the Two-Spirit, which are persons who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit, have contributed greatly to the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ rights movement.

Through learning and appreciating Indigenous contributions, we can all play a part in the journey towards reconciliation. 

To learn more, we have provided some resources below.

Events 

Resources & Organisations 

Pride Events

/

Photo by Raphael Renter on Unsplash

Happy Pride Month!

For those wanting to take part in celebrating Pride, please see some of the events we’ve compiled below:

For resources, please see this blog post.

Enjoy the rest of Pride Month!

 
Featured
unsplash-image-29UC1UZK8KM.jpg
Resources for the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Read More →
unsplash-image-8oss2jSaMGE.jpg
National Indigenous History Month 2022
Read More →
unsplash-image-wuxdtGMNYaU.jpg
Pride Events
Read More →

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia 2022

/

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Yesterday marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). 

Recognized across the globe since its creation in 2004, IDAHOBIT is a day to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, it serves to highlight the discrimination and oppression faced by the community, and the work that still needs to be done to disrupt harmful policies and systems that continue to perpetuate harm against the LGBTQ+ community. 

This year’s theme is “Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights”, which feels particularly urgent given recent news around Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and its projected impact on the LGBTQ+ community and civil rights. 

Why May 17th? 

On this day in 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the category of mental illness.

Similarly, in 2019 WHO stopped categorising gender nonconformity as a mental health disorder.

These are important milestones reached by the tireless advocacy and work of LGBTQ+ people and scientists.

Ongoing Stigma

The impact of institutionalised anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is long lasting and there are lingering effects. So while great strides have been made, such as the removal of these categorisations, stigma remains and impacts LGBTQ+ people from the individual to systemic level.

LGBTQ+ people face physical and sexual harassment and assault, bullying, and lower self-esteem. At the systemic level, the LGBTQ+ community faces barriers to necessities such as healthcare, housing, and education. These factors affect their mental health and are further compounded with factors such as race and/or disability.

One way to begin tackling stigma is to challenge our own unconscious biases. 

Learn More

To show your support, learning more is always a great starting point. Please see our non-exhaustive list of resources below: 

Vancouver-based Resources

2022 National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

/

May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW).

Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than other women in Canada. In a 2014 RCMP report, there were 1,181 documented cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. In 2019, the National Inquiry’s Final Report concluded that the violence Canada committed against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people was a genocide.

This epidemic of violence has been a reality for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people for generations, and despite the already horrific numbers, it is likely that there are many unaccounted for. 

This violence is not random, but is a part of Canada’s legacy of colonialism. Canada’s colonial history continues to shape its present. Further, colonialism is not just a thing of the past — it is an ongoing reality that impacts Indigenous Peoples. It continues to create the conditions for this violence against Indigenous women and girls. It also continues to create the conditions that allow this violence to be largely ignored, hidden, and trivialised.  

[W]e use hard words to address hard truths like genocide, colonization, murder and rape. To deny these hard words is to deny the truths of the families and survivors, front-line workers, and grassroots organizers. We used hard words because the violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people is a difficult, critically important crisis to address and in which we all have a role.

— p.6, The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 

The REDress Project

In response to this violence, Métis artist Jaime Black created an art installation entitled The REDress Project. Red dresses are hung in public spaces across Canada and the United States to honour the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and to begin critical conversations. May 5th has come to be known as Red Dress Day, and supporters are encouraged to wear red.

Learn More

For more information, we encourage you to read The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

More resources are available below, as well as organisations to support.

Emergency and Health Resources

National Inquiry toll-free 24/7 support line: 1-844-413-6649 

Resources

Organizations

Asian Heritage Month 2022

/

Happy Asian Heritage Month 2022! 

This month, we’re celebrating the incredibly diverse group that is Asian Canadians. While the focus of Asian Heritage Month tends to be on our struggles and tenacity, it is also important to highlight our successes and love of community. 

The category of “Asian” is extremely broad and covers many cultures, but a common thread is the sense of respect, pride, and tenderness that we share for our communities. 

We’ve seen a rise in hate crimes against Asian people since the start of the pandemic. This has amplified the need to  maintain and improve our awareness and practice being an active bystander (when it’s safe for us to do so).

It has also amplified the need to remind ourselves of the generosity, joy, and love of life shared by Asian Canadians. And we want to share and celebrate these with everyone.

Events

Resources

Fun Stuff

New Federal Holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

/

Last updated 9/27/22.

haida artist tamara bell’s memorial for the 215 indigenous children who died at KAMLOOPS residential school, on the steps of the vancouver art gallery. Photo by Sonya Romanovska on Unsplash.

haida artist tamara bell’s memorial for the 215 indigenous children who died at KAMLOOPS residential school, on the steps of the vancouver art gallery. Photo by Sonya Romanovska on Unsplash.

Update — Orange Shirt Day event on Sept. 30, 2021 at 12pm at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (previously the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza).

On September 30 at 12pm, visit šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square for a free performance, Xweýene:msta:m ?əkwəsqwel, seýeḿ (call to witness/listen to respected one), in honour of Orange Shirt Day.

 

The federal government has recently passed legislation making September 30 a federal holiday: the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Government of British Columbia has also recognized this holiday, though not as a statutory holiday, but most schools, post-secondary institutions, some health sector workplaces, and Crown corporations will be closed.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation comes as a response to Call to Action #80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Actions (2015). It is a day to recognize and learn more about the history of the residential school system, its part in Canada’s colonial history, and its ongoing impacts on Indigenous peoples.

 

80. We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

—Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action

 

Orange Shirt Day

Since 2013, we have observed September 30 as Orange Shirt Day, which was started by Phyllis Webstad, activist and residential school survivor.

When Phyllis was six-years-old, she wore an orange shirt given to her by her grandmother for her first day of school, only to have it, and the rest of her clothes, taken away upon her arrival. Watch Phyllis’ story here and read more about the significance of the orange shirt and the movement Phyllis has inspired here.

During the week leading up to and on September 30, we will be recognizing Orange Shirt Day. We encourage you to take the day to learn more and reflect.

If you are interested in showing support and donning orange, we encourage you to purchase your orange shirts from Indigenous shops and organizations, or vendors that directly support Indigenous peoples. Please see a list of vendors under “Resources” below.

 

Resources

Content warning: Many of these websites and sources deal with sensitive and disturbing content. If you or someone you know needs support, there are 24-hour crisis lines available:

1-866-925-4419 (First Nations Health Authority Residential School Crisis Line)

1-800-721-0066 (Indian Residential School Survivors Society Crisis Line)

 

Articles & Documents


Orange Shirts

Indigenous owned and operated vendors, and vendors that support Indigenous creators, for orange shirts. If we are missing anything that you would like to see added, please let us know!

Make sure to check the “About” or “FAQ” page of any source you visit when purchasing orange shirts.

 
 

We are settlers living, working, and playing on the stolen, unceded, and traditional lands of the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.

National Indigenous Peoples Day 2021

/
‘Welcoming Figure’ by artist Sequiliem (Stan Joseph) was a gift from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) First Nation to West Vancouver. Photo by Vince Lee on Unsplash.

‘Welcoming Figure’ by artist Sequiliem (Stan Joseph) was a gift from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) First Nation to West Vancouver. Photo by Vince Lee on Unsplash.

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Today, and this entire National Indigenous History Month, we commemorate the 25th annual National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a time to celebrate and honour Indigenous peoples and their histories, experiences, and stories.

Indigenous people had called for a day of solidarity for over a decade before June 21 was finally declared National Aboriginal Day in 1996. June 21, the summer solstice, is a significant day for many Indigenous peoples.

This day and month are not just a time to celebrate, but a time for us settlers to educate ourselves and reflect on our connections to settler colonialism and the stolen lands we live on. Additionally, and arguably most importantly, it’s a time to give our support Indigenous people, and their movements and organizations.

If you’re wondering where to begin, we have compiled some resources below:

Learn and Reflect

Articles:

Listen to Indigenous Voices

Chances are that your local nation has its own social media account, so make sure to search for and keep up with them!

Show Support

Support Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, businesses, and movements.

 

Consider this list as a place to begin, as it is by no means exhaustive.

We are settlers living, working and playing on the stolen, unceded, and traditional lands of the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.

Why now?

/
a mural dedicated to george floyd and other victims of racialized police violence. Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash.

a mural dedicated to george floyd and other victims of racialized police violence. Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash.

The urgency for a clear position on anti-racism and being an anti-racist organization feels different right now. In fact, it’s felt different since the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Not many will disagree with this sentiment. That said, it’s actually been urgent — life-and-death urgent — for many Black and Indigenous People for a long time. It’s taken a dramatic shift in the public’s engagement in anti-racism for this urgency to catch up with corporations, workplaces, and even places where you’d expect it already be urgent, such as credit unions. I am often asked to reflect on the sense of urgency that organizations are feeling around their EDI efforts and especially anti-racism: why now?

Here are a couple things to consider:

1. We’re about to make public our stance on anti-racism: Great! It probably took a while to get here. You’ve likely been doing the inner work. However, let’s be real, if your organization is appearing to just be starting your anti-racism journey today, you’ve essentially missed the boat. Of course, it’s still not too late to get caught up, but the damage to your reputation is already done. Your market and workforce is seeing is that it took you almost a year to come out with a position. That silence is no longer seen as neutral. That silence was your position.

  • George Floyd was killed May 25, 2020. If you miss the anniversary, you have absolutely missed the boat. And catching up will take a speedboat in the form of a really bold, overt and resourced effort — to show the inner work you’ve done, and back it up with substantial structural change. Let’s face it, whether your team has told you or not, you’re in damage control.

2. What if we’re still not done our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy? That’s a good point. It would probably be optimal to align your anti-racism work with your EDI work. In fact, if you could combine them, now you have J-EDI. The “J” is for justice. But here’s why that doesn’t matter:

  • Historically, EDI strategies were not inherently anti-racist. They’ve been focused on representation (diversity), and the experiences of employees (inclusion) which supported efforts around diversity (recruitment and retention). Only more advanced strategies, or organizations that are further on the journey, focus on the systemic barriers that BIPOC people might face.

  • An anti-racism commitment actually propels EDI efforts. Knowing that addressing systemic change generally happens later in an EDI effort, having an anti-racism commitment in advance of a thoroughly co-created EDI strategy (the preferred approach) actually primes the workforce and senior leadership for a more robust EDI strategy. It’s like pre-heating the oven for the perfect pizza. The commitment around anti-racism gets the oven hotter, and it gets us moving faster.

  • Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Strike while the iron is hot. There is no try, only do. It doesn’t matter what mantra around urgency you use, they’re all applicable in this situation. Wait any longer and the reputational damage only gets worse, which will make your EDI strategy feel even less genuine. If there’s anything that boards know well, it’s risk. Weight the risk of remaining silent, and you’ll see the time to act is now.

If you’re still not convinced, that’s OK. Just don’t be seen as being in the way. Otherwise, you are metaphorically the crosswind that is knowingly or unknowingly slowing the speedboat down. What organizations need right now is to know that their leadership, and especially their board, is the tailwind behind them — pushing them to get caught up.

Asian Heritage Month

/

Updated May 2023.

Happy Asian Heritage Month!

A store sign that reads “we stand with our asian family until we all win.” Photo by Lerone Pieters on Unsplash.

A store sign that reads “we stand with our asian family until we all win.” Photo by Lerone Pieters on Unsplash.

We should take every chance we can to uplift and celebrate our Asian families, friends, coworkers, and communities. But this month, we want to go even further.

Genuine allyship is as crucial as ever, and key to allyship is active learning. This means taking the initiative to seek out information and resources, ask questions, listen to Asian people and communities, and self-reflect.

If you are not sure where to begin, we recommend starting with some fundamental Asian-Canadian history. The recent rise in anti-Asian hate necessitates a shift in our focus to Canada’s long and deep history of anti-Asian racism. While these incidents are upsetting, they are not new or surprising. As Asian-Canadians, and as allies, it is important that we have some understanding of how our history informs our present.

The Head Tax

Chinese Exclusion Act (Chinese Immigration Act of 1923)

The Komagata Maru

Internment of Japanese Canadians

Asian Heritage Month runs from May 1-31.

Resources to help support Asian-Canadians and fight anti-Asian hate.

Resources to Support Asian-Canadians and Fight Anti-Asian Racism

/
photo of protest signs against anti-asian racism placed side by side on the ground. Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.

photo of protest signs against anti-asian racism placed side by side on the ground. Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.

Updated on 4/29/21

To help support each other in the fight against anti-Asian racism, we’ve compiled the following list of Canadian resources:

Health Resources

Community Orgs & Resources

 

In Solidarity with our Asian Communities

/

We are heartbroken, outraged, and exhausted by the ongoing racist acts of violence against our Asian communities.

Since the start of the pandemic in Canada and the U.S., we have seen a huge rise in Anti-Asian racism at an alarming rate. It is crucial to note that these acts of violence occur at the intersection of both race and gender: Asian women have been twice as likely to be victims of hate crimes in the U.S., and in BC, Asian women make up 70% of reported incidents. For Asian women, racism and misogyny are intertwined.

We stand in solidarity with our Asian communities against Anti-Asian racism.

Resources:

A more comprehensive list of resources will be added to our blog soon.

Justice for Jacob Blake

/

The recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin has left us hurt, angry, and exhausted. It’s easy to feel hopeless, but as allies we must stay focused on tangible ways we can help Jacob Blake, and counter anti-Black racism:

Please donate in support of Jacob Blake to his GoFundMe (created by Jacob’s mother, Julia Jackson)

See more resources to fight anti-Black racism in Canada and the US.

Black Lives Matter: A Resource List to Fight Anti-Black Racism

/

CPABC: What Do Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Truly Look Like?

/
Photo Credit: Aaron Aubrey on www.flickr.com/photos/cpabc/

Photo Credit: Aaron Aubrey on www.flickr.com/photos/cpabc/

As a follow-up to my opening keynote at CPABC’s PD Nexus: Maximizing Diversity, I was recently featured in CPABC’s flagship journal, CPABC in Focus.

My article What Do Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Truly Look Like? provides some of the technical perspective around different kinds of diversity and the business case for diversity among CPAs.

My keynote, “Why Diversity & Inclusion is Best Championed by Financial Leadership”, kicked off a day of speakers and panels focused on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The keynote was focused on the key role that financial leadership play in driving efforts towards inclusive excellence within their workplace.

It’s been my experience that progress in the EDI efforts are directly tied to the engagement of the CFO or VP Finance of a company or organization. This has been the case at YVR, First West Credit Union, and the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

 

City of Richmond Diversity Symposium 2017

/
Screen Shot 2017-11-23 at 4.45.16 PM.png

It is my pleasure to be speaking at the 2017 City of Richmond’s Diversity Symposium on November 24. This year's theme is "Fostering Intercultural Curiosity and Community Connections", a fitting description of the work I have been engaged in since 2010. 

This symposium provides an opportunity for municipal staff and community organizations to share strategies for intercultural community and neighbourhood building. I will be delivering two presentations this year: 

My first presentation, How to Move from Multicultural Make-up to Interculturally Inspired, will draw on my expertise as the former Director of Intercultural Understanding Strategy Development at the University of British Columbia, “North America's most international university" according to Times Higher Education. 

UBC has internationalized at a rate that had produced unexpected complications for educators and students alike. From December 2010 to December 2015, I worked to meet the extraordinary challenges posed by the University's culturally, linguistically and intellectually diverse campus. At the Symposium, I’ll be sharing my account of UBC’s transition from its success as a multicultural campus to becoming a place of genuine intercultural learning. 

In my second presentation, I will be giving an update on the first set of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Community Roundtables, All Our Neigbours. When asked what advice Primer Minister Justin Treadeau would give to newcomers, during his delivery of the Symons Lecture in Charlottetown, PEI, he replied with, "Get to know your neighbours." Integration, at the granular level is all about neighbourliness; hence, the title of this series.

> 'Neighbour helping neighbour' is the Canadian way: Trudeau delivers Symons lecture (CBC.ca)

All our Neighbours has invited residents from Surrey, Coquitlam and Richmond to have frank discussions on the local impact that global migration has had on their neighbourhoods. The Roundtables have proven to be an incredible opportunity for community building, unearthing a wealth of stories from some of our least-heard voices. Not only has the program fostered new connections between residents, but also produced suggestions for strengthening community cohesion.

My presentation will focus on the work that went into the Roundtables behind the scenes, including the process, format, and results.

UBC Graduate School of Journalism 2017

/

This year marks my tenth anniversary as a lecturer at UBC's Graduate School of Journalism, where I have delivered an annual presentation on the importance of diversity in news media. As the father of two young boys, I'm well aware of how bias in the stories we consume can affect the way we think. Taking advantage of my own firsthand experience working with CBC Television and heading Schema Magazine, my presentation explored the difficulty of creating truly inclusive journalism that creates a space for different experiences and viewpoints. Part of my mission has been to provide training on how to disrupt different types of bias (including personal bias, cultural bias, systems bias, media bias, and negativity bias), and make future journalists and media producers aware of their impact on news reporting.

As always, I was impressed by both the diversity of this year's students and their passion to drive social inclusion. It remains a huge honour to contribute to the learning of those that will be shaping the stories and public discourse in our immediate future.

Photo credit: Olivia Williams

UBC Future Global Leaders 2017

/

I had the pleasure of being a part of this year's Future Global Leaders program at UBC, which helps high school students learn the intercultural fluency they'll need to succeed in the academic environment and beyond.

My engagement began with a two-hour seminar on Multiculturalism 3.0, followed by a workshop one week later. 

My workshop focused on teaching participants how to become inclusive leaders who can create a productive, welcoming environment for all. Thank you to all the students who provided thoughtful responses to our discussions on sensitive topics. It's my hope that they can put these critical skills to good use in the bright future ahead of them.

More information about the Future Global Leaders program I delivered can be found at extendedlearning.ubc.ca/programs/future-global-leaders.

University of Delaware | February 8, 2017

/ University of Delaware/

I would like to thank Dr. Carol Henderson, Vice Provost for Diversity, and the Office of the Provost at the University of Delaware for the invitation to deliver intercultural skills training and facilitate a conversation around diversity and inclusion on their campus.

I was smothered by their hospitality and had a wonderful time facilitating workshops for a packed room of senior leadership, faculty and administration! There was great energy and strong sense of community, rallying behind the University's commitment to inclusive excellence! Here's are some photos from that day. 

Special thanks to Dana Perry, Ravi Ammigan and the team at the Office for International Students & Scholars for your support! I can't wait to come back. The presentation from that day can be found at the following link: aldenhabacon.com/udel

Internationally Trained Professionals Networking Fair 2016

/

I gave this year's keynote address at DIVERSEcity's 2016 Internationally Trained Professionals Networking Fair. 150 internationally trained professionals (ITPs), employment coaches and newcomer support staff attended the event, which featured one of the best employee/employer panels I've ever attended. Information about the panelists and my keynote presentation is at the following link: #ITP2016