How the Canadian province fights racism

60 different organizations in British Columbia will receive financial support as part of a program to promote multiculturalism and combat racism. Almost CAD 300,000 will be given for projects throughout B.C.

“Discrimination and racism are real, and too many people in this province continue to be victimized by hate. I’m encouraged and inspired to see so many organizations standing up and speaking out against racism and making B.C. a more welcoming place,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General.

The Joy Kogawa House Society in Vancouver has received funding to host safe and supportive bi-weekly writing circles for writers who identify as queer and Asian to develop written work for publication.

“On top of the trauma of dealing with the pandemic, Asians have had to deal with feeling physically and emotionally unsafe in their social environments. For 2SLGBTQ+ Asians, who are already doubly marginalized as outsiders in straight and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, the layers of trauma are multiple. Writers who only met in a safe online space during the pandemic will now be meeting in person to write together and develop new creative work. We are excited to see what results,” said Ann-Marie Metten, executive director, Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.

Nechako Healthy Community Alliance Society in Vanderhoof has received funding to create videos, podcasts, and texts about the lives of people who have experienced racial discrimination in British Columbia and to combat racism in their community.

“The ‘sleepy middle’ in our community—that is, people who are indifferent and complacent in anti-racism and anti-hate conversations and actions—have a lot of potential to support anti-racism and anti-hate education, and make real, lasting change,” said Sylvia Byron, Nechako Healthy Community Alliance Society.

Funding preference is given to applications submitted by racialized and otherwise marginalized groups.

What else British Columbia does to combat racism and promote multiculturalism:

1. Providing funding to support several anti-racism initiatives, such as the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network and the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards.
2. Reinstating the B.C. Human Rights Commission.
3. Implementing the K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan to equip students, teachers, and parents with resources to identify and respond to racism and discrimination.
4. Implementing the Anti-Racism Data Act to help government identify inequities in programs and services, and pave the way to a more equitable province.
5. Working to introduce new, broader anti-racism legislation in 2024.

This year, the government will release research priorities under the Anti-Racism Data Act. Developed in partnership with Indigenous governing entities and the Anti-Racism Data Committee, these priorities will ensure that data collection is focused on the areas that matter most to those affected by systemic racism.