Surprise spurred a local faith organization to create a new anti-racism program rolling out across Greater Victoria.
The Victoria Interfaith Society simply hadn’t identified it as an immediate need, according to Sheila Flood, one of three current facilitators of the Learning Anti-Racism Toolkit.
After it was suggested by Montreal-based Centre for Civic Religious Literacy, she looked up some numbers.
“It’s bad and it’s getting worse,” Flood said.
According to Statistics Canada, hate crimes motivated by race or ethnicity rose six per cent in 2021, on top of rising 83 per cent in 2020.
The concept also meshes with their goals of learning from each other, celebrating diversity and working together for the well-being of the community and world.
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The organization applied for funding and spent roughly a year – starting in spring 2021 – assembling two advisory groups and creating a program.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action provided a starting point, and people will want to learn more about those, she said.
One thing they quickly learned, fellow committee chair David Batterham said, was that ample resources are readily available. In some cases, it’s a matter of distilling and curating.
“We put these through the wringer,” Flood said.
The eight workshops are based on a group learning model and open to groups of any size – from book clubs to workplaces.
It includes facilitation guides and glossaries. Each workshop includes a small spiritual element – diverse, universal and pertinent quotes that convey the multi-faith aspect.
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It helps provide an intentionally non-judgmental entrance point to the topic.
“Some people have strong awareness of their racial biases, others don’t,” Batterham said.
There are compulsory exercises presented in bite-size pieces that the group is expected to complete, with ample suggested reading or viewing.
“However long people want to invest in it, all the information is there,” Flood said.
When development finished in 2022, they started hosting it online – still a primary method learners take that leaves it open to anyone, anywhere. Provincial funding through the B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grants program means a bigger rollout this year.
Among the first presentations was the Saanich Police Community Engagement Division. That group is reviewing the program to both build on knowledge around anti-racism topics, but to see if it’s a tool Saanich police can use the help facilitate discussions in the future, said Insp. Steve Morgan, the officer in charge of that division.
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“There have been a lot of takeaways so far and it appears the VMS has prepared a very comprehensive and easy-to-use resource to facilitate discussion and peer-learning in many anti-racism areas,” he said after completing two of the eight sessions. “As an organization, we are always open to learning and looking at new programs that may assist our officers in the important role they play in the community.”
Anyone interested in facilitation of the workshops can email Victoriamultifaith@gmail.com. Find the program online at https://victoriamultifaith.com/.
Provincial plan for future anti-racism rules
Along with funding several programs throughout the province, engagement is underway to expand the anti-racism legislation introduced last year at the provincial level. Co-developed and informed by Indigenous Peoples and other racialized communities, anyone is welcome to participate in the online public questionnaire that runs now through Sept. 30, with new legislation expected next spring. Visit engage.gov.bc.ca/antiracism to participate.
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