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What is the project?
A Sense of Belonging is a 2-year initiative to identify and address local issues of racism and discrimination while promoting integration in communities across Canada.
Objectives of the project:
- Enhance cross-cultural and interfaith awareness and understanding to strengthen social cohesion;
- Promote inclusiveness and eliminate discriminatory behaviours and attitudes through public education and community outreach initiatives;
- Help communities recognize untapped leadership by identifying new and emergent leaders, both in the youth and larger communities;
- Foster community participation and strengthen partnerships between communities and organizations to ensure the continued development of community capacity to address issues of multiculturalism, anti-racism and diversity.
- Develop supporting resources for public education and for educators, youth and community engagement.
Background
UNA-Canada has built a reputation for conceptualizing and implementing innovative projects, such as Youth for Diversity (YFD) and Integration & Belonging (I&B). These projects have successfully engaged communities across Canada, identified gaps and challenges in addressing diversity issues, created networks of youth, emerging community leaders and community group representatives, and developed community action plans addressing racism and diversity issues at the local level.
Both YFD and I&B had many successes. Not only did they generate insights into the challenges facing integration efforts in Canadian cities, but they also helped to identify resources and strategies that community members can use to overcome those challenges. Based on the principles of open dialogue and respect, these projects provided participants the opportunity to explore their personal identities and relationship to a wider Canadian identity, and to come together to work for change in their communities. In generating greater social capital and bonding, the projects made important inroads for social cohesion in Canada.
Despite the successes of these projects, the process of building stronger communities and a more inclusive society has only just begun. In order to maintain the momentum of these earlier projects, next steps must include implementing the action plans that were developed. This reality was the impetus behind A Sense of Belonging.
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Launch of project in Montreal