National Anti-Racism Summits
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In Canada, diversity is one of our greatest strengths, yet we know that discrimination and racism continue to be a daily reality for many. We must actively listen to the voices of communities directly affected by racism. We must acknowledge inequities in our institutions and in people's lived experiences.
The Government of Canada is committed to taking immediate steps to combat racism and discrimination and to create a safer and more inclusive Canada for all. That is why the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat is launching an anti-racism summit series. The summits will bring together diverse groups of community and political leaders, academics, activists, and members with intersectional identities from racialized communities, religious minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Together, participants will continue charting a path forward to combat racism and discrimination.
In parallel with the upcoming summits, the Secretariat will continue working closely with communities to take action against all forms of hate.
If you have questions about the summits please send an email to sommets.antiracisme-antiracism.summits@pch.gc.ca.
Details on additional summits will be added as and when they are confirmed.
National Summit on Antisemitism
- Date:
- July 21, 2021
- Time:
- 12 p.m. (ET)
To continue the government’s work on combatting antisemitism, on July 21, 2021, the Government of Canada will host the National Summit on Antisemitism, convened by the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism and the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth. This summit will help legislators, policymakers, and program administrators better understand the pervasiveness of antisemitism in Canada and identify actions the Government of Canada can take to address key issues facing Jewish communities.
Program
July 21, 2021: 12:00 pm – 7:00 p.m. ET
Opening
12:00 pm
- Technical Overview
12:03 pm
- Land Acknowledgement and Smudge Ceremony
12:09 pm
- Greetings from Master of Ceremonies Peter Flegel, Executive Director, Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat
- Greetings from Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth
- Honourable Marc Gold, Senator – Quebec
- Remarks from the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
- Greetings from the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development
Address from the Special Envoy
12:37 pm
- The Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism
Roundtable Discussion: Combatting Antisemitism and Hate
- Presentations of issues facing Jewish communities across Canada and proposed solutions
12:48 pm
- Presentation by community leaders
Government Responses
- Presentation of Government Responses to Issues and Solutions proposed by Jewish communities.
1:38 pm
- Responses by Elected Officials
- 10 minute break
Open Discussion: Building Vibrant Communities
- Participants provide recommendations on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps.
2:23 pm
- Facilitated Discussion with attendees
3:03 pm
- Break
3:13 pm
- Virtual Lunch
- Combatting Antisemitism in our Communities. Roundtable with municipal and community leaders
Open Discussion: Enhancing Community Security and Combatting Online Hate
- Participants provide recommendations on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps. Participants will also be able to react to and provide feedback on recently announced proposals to combat online hate.
3:54 pm
- Facilitated Discussion with attendees
Roundtable Discussion: Advancing National Education & Awareness
- Presentations on issues facing Jewish communities across Canada and proposed solutions
4:34 pm
- Presentation by community leaders.
Government Responses
- Presentation of Government Responses to Issues and Solutions proposed by Jewish communities.
5:34 pm
- Response by Elected Officials
- 10 minute break
Open Discussion: Intersecting Identities
- Participants provide recommendation on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps.
6:11 pm
- Open discussion with attendees
Closing
6:52 pm
- Closing Remarks
- The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth
- The Honourable Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism
National Summit on Islamophobia
- Date:
- July 22, 2021
- Time:
- 12 p.m. (ET)
On July 22, 2021, the Government of Canada will host the National Summit on Islamophobia convened by the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth. This summit will provide a national platform for Muslim communities to identify concrete ways to enhance federal efforts to combat Islamophobia. The summit will also help legislators, policymakers, and program administrators understand the pervasiveness of Islamophobia in Canada.
Program
July 22, 2021 12:00 pm – 7:00 p.m. ET
Opening
12:00 pm
- Technical Overview
12:03 pm
- Land Acknowledgement and Smudge Ceremony
12:09 pm
- Greetings from Master of Ceremonies Peter Flegel, Executive Director, Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat
- Greetings from Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth
- The Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transportation
- Remarks from the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Setting the Stage
12:31 pm
- Mohammed Hashim, Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Roundtable Discussion: Combatting Islamophobia & Hate
- Presentations of issues facing Muslim communities across Canada and proposed solutions
12:42 pm
- Presentation by community leaders
Government Responses
- Presentation of Government Responses to Issues and Solutions proposed by communities.
1:42 pm
- Responses by Elected Officials
- 10 minute break
Open Discussion: Enhancing Community Security and Combatting Online Hate
- Participants provide recommendations on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps.
2:10 pm
- Facilitated Discussion with attendees
2:50 pm
- Break
3:00 pm
- Virtual Lunch
- Topic/Title: Combatting Islamophobia in Canada
- Moderated by: Carole Saab, Canadian Federation of Municipalities
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi, City of Calgary
- jeewan chanicka, Incoming Director of Education for Waterloo Region District School Board
- Bochra Manai, Commissaire - Lutte contre le racisme et les discriminations systemiques, Ville de Montréal
- Marzia Hassan, Speaker & Writer
Open Discussion: Building Vibrant Communities
- Participants provide recommendations on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps.
3:40 pm
- Facilitated Discussion with attendees
Roundtable Discussion: Addressing Systemic Islamophobia
- Presentations of issues facing Muslim communities across Canada and proposed solutions
4:20 pm
- Presentation by community leaders
Government Responses
- Presentation of Government Responses to Issues and Solutions proposed by communities.
5:20 pm
- Responses by Elected Officials
- 10 minute break
Open Discussion: Changer Les Narratives / Changing Narratives
- Participants provide recommendations on best ways to implement relevant programs and policies and ways to fill programmatic, policy and legislative gaps.
5:50 pm
- Facilitated Discussion with attendees
Closing
6:30 pm
- Closing Remarks
- Greetings from Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth
- The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
- His Excellency Jamal Khokhar, Ambassador to Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and Canada’s Special Envoy to the Organization for Islamic Cooperation