Welcome to week 2! An ally is someone who supports someone else. In the context of social justice, allies support people and communities who are marginalized, in their struggle for equity, human rights, justice, etc. An ally is not a member of the group they are allied with. Last week, we …
[Continue reading] Recognize Privilege – Part 2 of “How to be an Ally”
I have spent the last 8 days in Delhi, India – an incredibly busy and crowded city, with beautiful people, stunning monuments that are older than the “birthday” Canada is celebrating this year, ridiculous traffic, some green spaces, and much poverty. I have traveled to many countries, and poverty …
The other night as my four year old filled up her cup from the tap and had a drink after brushing her teeth, I reminded her how lucky she was to live in a country where she could drink the tap water. We have just returned from a vacation in Cuba, where I had to teach her she couldn’t do that (as a …
[Continue reading] How Easy it is to Shape Someone’s Perspective
Let’s talk about Bill C-23, and what it could mean for some Canadians. Bill C-23 is called the pre-clearance Bill because it’s about the powers that US customs officials have when Canadians pre-clear US customs on Canadian soil. You can read more about it here. Currently, if you are pulled …
Women's Marches This past weekend, thousands of women around the world took to the streets to show their protest against the new President of the USA, their commitment to each other, and their solidarity towards the other groups also targeted by him during his campaign. It gave me pause to …
Last week I attended the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Conference – Inclusive Canada, 2017 and Beyond. It was a thought-provoking and intense two days with a strong theme of Indigenous inclusion. The opening keynote was by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada. He …
Black Lives Matter Toronto halted to Pride Parade on Sunday to make some demands of Pride Toronto. It’s not the first and won’t be the last of their bold activism. And, as Naila Keleta-Mae writes in her Globe and Mail article, the point is that they make people uncomfortable. Here’s my perspective …
[Continue reading] Black Lives Matter = Opportunity for Growth
Today I put my foot in my mouth, big time. I mentioned it was Canada Day to a new American friend, and cheekily suggested he could wish me a happy one. And he is Indigenous. Yup. That's right. I will give you a moment to let that sink in. I have been doing Diversity & Inclusion work …
[Continue reading] Why I Won’t be Saying Happy Canada Day Today
Questions about identity-specific groups often come up when we talk about inclusion. These could be based on race, sexual orientation, age etc. Identity-based groups are often viewed with caution and the accusation of exclusion. Afterall, we don't want to go "backwards". I’d like to suggest they …
Today on CBC’s Metro Morning I heard the fourth segment of the series The Nirmalendran Brothers. It's the only one I have heard, and the podcast isn’t up yet - but check back to listen at http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/). The focus today was on Christopher Husbands who has been found guilty of two …
[Continue reading] Pondering the CBC series: The Nirmalendran Brothers