HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-02-13If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the
IDEA Officer at 905-623-3379 ext 2563
Clarington Diversity Advisory Committee (Virtual)
Thursday February 13, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
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Agenda
1. Land Acknowledgment Statement:
The Municipality of Clarington is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississaugas
and Chippewas of the Anishinabeg, known today as the Williams Treaties First Nations. Our work on
these lands acknowledges their resilience and their longstanding contributions to the area now known
as the Municipality of Clarington.
2. Declarations of Interest
3. Review and approval of Agenda
4. Review and approval of January 9, 2025, meeting minutes
5. Welcome New CDAC Members
6. Update on Anti -Black Racism Advisory Committee
7. Update from DEI Symposium — Next Steps
8. CDAC Terms of Reference Changes
9. CDAC 2025 Work Plan
10. Council Update
11. Community Update:
a. Black History Month and Black Vendor Village
b. Upcoming Regional events
c. Planning for Pride Month celebrations
d. 2024 Diversity Report
12.2025 IDEA Plan / Initiatives
13.Other Business
a. Guest Speakers (Danielle Harder - Honouring Indigenous People, Barbara Perry)
Next meeting March 13, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
Diversity Advisory Committee Work Plan 2025
Deliverable
Description
Priority
Timeline
Progress
Comments
Level
Bursary for
A bursary to support the academic futures of
students — next
underrepresented youth by providing an
iteration
opportunity to access post -secondary
education and achieve success in higher
education
Research mentorship component
Engage more
Collaborate with school boards, Councillors
youth in civic
and IDEA to create a youth civic engagement
engagement
program
2025 Community
Implement a community wide anti-
Fall 2025
Survey
racism/discrimination survey; conduct a
comparison to the 2023 survey
Identify calls to action based on survey results.
Implement IDEA
Black Vendor Village
Community
Canada Day
recognition and
Clarington PRIDE
celebration
Indigenous Veterans Day
events
TRC
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Internal
Diversity,
Equity and
Inclusion
DURHAM
REGION
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Municipal Symposium
Summary Report
Fostering a strong and inclusive region
If you require this information in an alternate format, please contact diversity@durham.ca
Diversity,
Equity and
Inclusion
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Municipal Symposium
Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Location: Durham Region Headquarters
Overview
The DEI Municipal Symposium brought together community leaders, activists and municipal
staff to discuss the growing diversity within Durham Region and how we are collectively
embedding equity and inclusion in our practices.
Attendance
There were just under 50 participants at the Symposium, representing various committees,
taskforces and working groups from six local area municipalities and Durham Region.
Also in attendance were Regional Councillor Sterling Lee (Ajax) and Durham Regional Police
Service Chief Administrative Officer, Stan MacLellan.
Keynote presentation
Dr. Nicole Bernhardt, assistant professor in political science at the University of Toronto
(Scarborough), delivered a presentation titled Resisting the Backlash and Advancing Equity.
She shared an empowering message about creating change within our spheres of influence,
and ended with best practices for how we can challenge and overcome the obstacles and
boundaries we face as DEI practitioners.
Committee updates
Each committee presented a brief update on their accomplishments and upcoming activities. A
full report of all committee updates can be found at the end of this document in appendix A.
Action planning workshop
Jabari Lindsay, Director of Income and Social Supports at Peel Region, facilitated a session
encouraging and empowering members to openly discuss the needs and priorities of their
organizations and the communities they serve. This highly interactive session produced
various ideas that fit within the following identified themes.
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Themes
1. Advocacy and awareness.
2. Policy and systems -level changes.
3. Innovative approaches to programs and service delivery.
4. Strengthening the enabling environment.
5. Collaboration.
A more through report of the facilitated discussion is captured at the end of this document in
appendix B.
Resources
Key resources that are needed to continue this work were also identified. They include:
• Budget/funding.
• Physical space.
• Leadership.
• Support for delegations.
• Support from communities.
• Support from fellow DEI-practitioners.
• Ways to compensate and recognize volunteers.
• Accountability measures.
• Investment in people.
Opportunities for collaboration in 2025
Many groups/organizations are working toward the same goal of creating a more equitable and
inclusive Durham Region. There are ample opportunities to collectively address barriers to
belonging.
• Looking at what community safety looks like and how we can shape a more inclusive
community.
• Supporting newcomers as they navigate systems to safely integrate in the community,
as there is a lack of awareness of what services are available and this leaves
newcomers susceptible to falling through the gaps and becoming targets of crime.
• Advocate for the continued need to address homelessness and the need for shelter
space.
• Exploring ways to ensure that our councils and decision -makers are listening.
• Championing for an equity lens to be applied to regional infrastructure.
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Symposium feedback
A feedback survey was shared with symposium attendees and completed by ten individuals.
Results were positive and signalled an interest in creating more opportunities for groups to
connect, share best practices, discuss their workplans and explore points of collaboration.
Next steps
• Share the summary report with attendees of the symposium and schedule a follow-up
virtual meeting with symposium attendees to develop an action plan reflective of the
identified themes and priorities.
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Appendix A - Committee Updates
Pickering Anti -Black Racism Taskforce (PABRT)
The PABRT is a committee of Council that work in partnership with the Pickering community,
the city and Durham -based organizations and businesses.
PABRT's mandate:
• Identify barriers and areas of opportunities, to enhance the shared experience and
opportunities afforded to Black residents.
• Identify and coordinate opportunities for stakeholders and community engagement.
• Provide expert input and action on matters relating to the provisions of Anti -Black
racism initiatives within the community.
• Celebrate and promote the Black community and promote Black culture.
PABRT's 2025 Workplan
• Consultation- continue strategic visioning around anti -Black racism initiatives and
impacts in the community.
• Community partnerships — collaborations with community partners through events,
meetings, and other initiatives.
• Marketing and promotions — supplies and materials to support and promote
community engagements (e.g. signage, literature, reports, and printing).
Oshawa Community Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (CDEIC)
CDEIC's mandate:
• Provide support to staff in the implementation of the diversity and inclusion plan.
• Provide a forum for the consultation, feedback, and discussion on the matters of
diversity, equity, and Inclusion in the City of Oshawa.
CDEIC's Goal and Objective
• Support and advise the city staff.
• Build relationships and engage community.
• Educate and raise awareness about DEL
• Celebrate diversity.
2024-2025 CDEIC Work Plan
• Priority areas:
o Community Engagement and Outreach.
o City Collaboration.
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Ajax Anti -Racism Taskforce (AART)
The AART addresses racism faced by various groups. Committee started in January 2024 and
currently has eight (8) members.
AART's mandate:
• Raise awareness and combat issues related to interpersonal, structural, and
systemic racism.
2025 Work Plan
• Short term goal
o Promoting funding opportunities for organizations that offer youth
engagement, programming for Black, Indigenous and people of colour.
o Identifying gaps in the workforce and making recommendations for hiring
practices.
o Training and support for employees of Town of Ajax.
o Engaging with businesses in Ajax to enhance their policies to offer promotion
opportunities to racialized individuals.
• Long term goals:
o Advocating for social housing and homelessness challenges.
o Resources for mental health.
o Recommendations for representation of racialized groups in regional
workforce and Durham Police Services.
Whitby Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (WDIAC)
WDIAC's goals
• To provide input to council and elimination of barriers.
• Help organize flag raising.
• Foster greater understanding of diversity issues through community partnerships.
• Provide sponsorships to events.
• Invite cultural diversity groups to present at different meetings.
• Provide input to staff in developing policies and procedures such as the DEI Plan.
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Durham Region Anti -Racism Taskforce (DRART)
The DRART is a committee of Council, comprised of racialized community members with lived
experience and industry representatives committed to addressing issues related to racism.
DRART's mandate:
• To act in an advisory role to the council and entire region. They do this through
participating in discussions, collaborating and providing advice on issues relating
structural, systemic, and interpersonal racism.
DRART's workplan focus areas:
• Establishing a working relationship with school boards in Durham Region.
• Establishing a working relationship with Durham Region Police.
• Anti -Hate By -Law research.
• Education and Awareness.
Clarington Diversity Advisory Committee and Anti -Black Racism Taskforce
Both groups focus on combatting all forms of racism in Clarington.
2024 Initiatives
• Equity and Inclusion lens guidelines.
• Clarington's inaugural diversity and leadership student bursaries.
• Social media campaign about diversity in Clarington.
2025 Initiatives
• Mock city hall event for grade 10 students to come and sit in the council chambers to
get them engaged.
• Organizing events under equity lens.
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Appendix B -Action Planning Workshop — Detailed Summary
1. Advocacy and awareness
• Identifying champions.
• Equity awareness.
• Increase community representation in government.
• Making people talk about uncomfortable issues and situations and communicate
bravely to bring about change.
• Reminding government of their mandate.
• Learn about the different wards and elected officials in the wards.
2. Policy and systems level change
• Increase representation in council.
• Training opportunities for the community.
• Relationship building.
• Become unreasonable as an Advisory Committee, which means challenging norms,
resisting the temptation to accept the status quo and working collaboratively to lean
into each other's strengths.
• Mandatory DEI training for Council.
• Legitimize community work.
3. Innovative approach to programs and service delivery
• Need to create space to communicate safely.
• More preventative measures as opposed to reactive measures.
• Collaborate with school boards to ensure equity and diversity is incorporated into
curriculum.
• Support diverse communities without homogenizing those communities and pushing
them away.
4. Strengthening the enabling environment
• Inform the community.
• Prioritize wellness for those doing the work.
• Participatory politics.
• Will to run.
• Engaging leaders.
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5. Collaboration
• Increase communication and more opportunities to come together and learn from
each other.
• Relationship building.
• Collectively attend council meetings and ask what equity means.
• Share outcomes from Strategic Planning and engagement sessions.
• Accountability measures for the council.
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