Post on 17-Dec-2015
transcript
INTER-ACTION:CANADA’S NEW MULTICULTURALISM GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM
• To provide an overview of the Multiculturalism Program, while highlighting how the Program can address issues related to religious diversity.
Presentation Objective
• Program draws mandate from Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Policy (1971) embedded in Act;
• Policy encourages vision of Canada based on equality and mutual respect without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour or religion; and
• Program encourages and supports participation by all citizens in building and shaping a cohesive and inclusive Canadian society
Context - Mandate of the Multiculturalism Program
Increasing diversity:
– 16.2% (5 million) are visible minorities, of whom 67% were born outside Canada
– 215 ethnic origins and increased multiple origins
• 47% of Canadians self-identify at least partial origins other than British, French or Canadian
– One-fifth of Canadians are foreign-born
– Growth of non-Christian religions
• Numbers of people in Canada affiliated with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism doubled or nearly doubled from 1991 to 2001
2031 Projections– Between 25% and 28% of population foreign born– Between 29% and 32% belong to visible minority group– 14% of population expected to belong to a non-Christian religion
Context - Canada’s Increasing Diversity
Demographic changes have led to greater religious and cultural diversity, resulting in:
• Multi-layered identities• Residents of Canada overwhelmingly (96%) report that they identify as citizens of Canada,
but also have overlapping territorial affiliations (including global, provincial and municipal)• Mixed ethno-cultural/linguistic identities and affiliations
• Complex intersections between religion and race in public debate
• Challenges to Accommodation & Integration Approaches
• Lack of intercultural and interfaith understanding • Indications of low favourability towards and poor understanding of faith communities• Race/ethnicity and religion constitute the motivation for majority of hate crimes
Context - Challenges of Increasing Diversity
Two streams:
– Projects: Supports mainly multi-year community development/engagement projects
– Events: Supports community based events that foster intercultural/interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values
Inter-Action: Canada’s New Multiculturalism Grants and Contributions Program
1. Build an Integrated, Socially Cohesive Society by:
• Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding
• Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history
• Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins
Projects Stream: Objectives
. Improve Responsiveness of Institutions to Needs of Diverse Population by :
• Assisting federal and public institutions to become more responsive to diversity by integrating multiculturalism into their policy and program development and service delivery
Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.)
• Actively Engaging in Discussions on Multiculturalism and Diversity at International level by:
• Promoting Canadian approaches to diversity as successful model while contributing to international policy dialogue on issues related to multiculturalism
Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.)
• The priorities for the first and latest Call for Proposal included the following groups as primary beneficiaries:
– youth
– youth-at-risk
– faith communities/organizations
– Immigrants
• Thematic priorities included the following:
– citizenship rights and responsibilities
– facilitating positive interaction among different cultural, ethnic and religious communities in Canada
Call for Proposal: Priorities
• Project has been designed to facilitate the community twinning of businesses, schools, neighbourhoods and faith-based communities, with the goal of achieving social cohesion in Abbotsford.
• Community Twinning refers to the exchange of dissimilar or unlike communities to facilitate cultural exchanges which will aid to build understanding and commonalities.
• In order to facilitate the community twinning the City of Abbotsford will develop 2 intercultural hubs to aid in the development of the community twinning.
• The hubs will offer programming such as, youth mentoring, interfaith and intercultural workshops, diversity leadership training, intercultural recreation, arts and storytelling.
Abbotsford Building Connections – Project Example
• Building an integrated, socially cohesive society by:
– Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding
– Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history
– Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins
Events Stream: Objectives
• Events must demonstrate involvement of more than one single cultural, faith and/or ethnic community and establish concrete opportunities for interaction among them
Events Stream: Objectives
• Community based celebrations (intended for and open to all Canadians) of historic contributions to Canada of particular ethnic, cultural or faith-based groups, including in support of Asian Heritage and Black History months
• “Citizenship day’ event for young people, organized by coalition of faith, ethnic or cultural groups within community
• Performing arts events that bridge ethnic, cultural or faith communities
Events Stream: Eligible Activities
• Sporting activity involving members of various ethnic, cultural or faith communities
• Interfaith dialogues that bring together local representatives from Canada’s faith groups
• Intercultural dialogues among community groups of different cultural heritage, traditions and viewpoints
• Public education events which foster intercultural/ interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values
Events Stream: Eligible Activities* (Cont.)
• For funding:British Columbia and Yukon Region1148 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BCBCY-CBY-Multi@cic.gc.ca
For More Information British Columbia and Yukon Region