Hello there,

Thank you for joining the March Communities Ending Poverty Anti-Racism call and a warm welcome to new members in attendance. We wish to make these Communities of Practice safe for open dialogue. The group decided not to record the session due to the sensitive topic. 

Discussion Highlights

• The Days of Significance Guideline was reviewed from an anti-racist perspective and discussions were held regarding how a document such as this can help shift power between organizations, supervisors and staff. We will be sharing the revised version with the incorporated feedback at a later date. 
• The Days of Significance has three purposes, an HR policy whereby employees don't have to rationalize requests for days off, a planning document to assist with meeting or event scheduling, and as a statement about the importance of EDI in an organization.
• It is essential to look at blending multi-cultural policies with anti-racism ones. Ask how power functions and colonial history is at play; then, denounce the hierarchy and power.
• In the guidelines pre-amble make power explicit by naming the context of Christianity being the default that shaped many of the statuary holidays in our calendar.
• The Vatican recently renounced the Doctrine of Discovery, which legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands.

Resources

• Opportunity | We have upcoming opportunities for members of the Tamarack community to participate in an EDIJR journey with us | Contact Rochelle Ignacio.
• Article | Vatican Formally Renounces Discovery Doctrine | The Vatican responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery." 

• Article | Doctrine of Discovery is a 'Legal Fiction' | Revoking the Doctrine of Discovery won't herald immediate changes.

• Video | Critical Race Theory and its Implications for Indigenous Cultural Safety | Examine approaches to promoting equity and social justice and explore the consequences of those approaches for identity production.

Upcoming Opportunities

• Event | CEP 2023 National Gathering: Summit for Strength | April 25 - 27th | Learners across Canada will convene to co-create a resiliency plan that moves beyond ending poverty toward economic mobility in ways that honour people, partnerships, and the planet.
• Webinar | Community Leaders: A Necessary Part of Your Social Change Strategy | April 5 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET | Explore challenges and solutions to getting constituents to come out to events to provide insights, share gifts or take the lead.

March was Rissy Hawtke's last session as facilitator and we thank her and the Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership for their contribution. The group wants to continue and during the month of April we will explore options for moving forward the work of this Community of Practice.

Sincerely,

Maureen Owens (she/her) 

Manager of Communities – Communities Ending Poverty

Tamarack Institute

maureen@tamarackcommunity.ca