On Tuesday, Mar. 21, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Local Immigration Partnerships in Simcoe, Grey-Bruce and Lanark and Renfrew counties are jointly hosting an online panel discussion on Allyship to mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Expert panelists will discuss what it means to be an ally and provide guidance on how to address racism in different environments. The discussion will be followed by a half-hour, open Q&A session.
The panel includes experts in diversity, equity and inclusion, community building, advocacy and changemaking. The discussion will be monitored by faculty from Georgian College. For more information on the panelists and to pre-register, visit here.
The event will also include information on the County of Simcoe’s #ITSTARTS campaign. Now in its seventh year, this annual campaign seeks to address racism and discrimination and promote a unified community through public education and social media engagement.
More information on #ITSTARTS is available here.
This panel discussion will be broadcast live on YouTube. A recording will also be posted on YouTube following the event. For anyone interested in actively participating in the live Q&A session, pre registration is required to access the Zoom link. https://tinyurl.com/AllyshipItStarts or by email localimmigrationpartnership@algonquincollege.com
The UN General Assembly first proclaimed March 21 as International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 1979. It is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. Pass laws required all indigenous Africans over the age of 16 to carry a passbook everywhere they went, severely restricting and controlling travel, and dictating when, where and for how long black SouthAfricans could stay within white areas. For more information on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, visit https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day.
About Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs)
The federal government provides funding for Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP) across Canada, including 36 LIPs in Ontario. LIPs bring together service providers, settlement agencies, community groups, employers and other key organizations across a municipality to create welcoming communities for newcomers. Allyship is key to establishing inclusive communities. LIPs work hard to break down barriers, elevate newcomers’ voices, and develop and strengthen supports for immigrants. For more information on LIPs, visit https://www.simcoe.ca/dpt/ccs/lip (Simcoe County), https://liplanarkrenfrew.ca (Lanark & Renfrew Counties), greybrucelip.ca (Grey & Bruce Counties).
