Is DEI on Its Way Out?
Over the past few weeks, I have felt the southerly cold wind creeping up on The Great White North, bringing doubt amongst equity-deserving groups and their allies. Even our pending elections seem to signal a seismic shift from the commitment to build representative organizations – none more so than within the Federal Public Service (FPS). It begs the question: Is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) on its way out?
Shab-e Yalda: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
Shab-e Yalda, also known as Shab-e Chelleh, is an ancient celebration of the winter solstice, which is celebrated today in modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan amongst others. The winter solstice marks the beginning of winter, and the longest night of the year. On this day the sun is at the lowest point in the sky, so the day feels darker. From this point onwards, the length of daylight begins to increase each day, as the sun sets later. Shab-e Yalda translates to Night of Rebirth, referring to the “rebirth” of the sun, which will bring longer days after the winter solstice.
A Challenging Year for DEI, But a Hopeful One Ahead
The diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) sector had a challenging year, here in Canada but especially in the United States. It was a combination of social, economic, political, and organizational pressures.
Murray Sinclair – Canadian Leader
He was well-known as Justice Murray Sinclair, the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba and only the second in all of Canada. He became a Canadian senator, then chancellor at Queen’s University.
Off the Bookshelf: Under the White Gaze
The core tenets of journalism include fairness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, and representation. These guiding principles ensure journalists maintain ethical standards as they and the organizations they work for serve the public interest. Too often the profession falls short of these standards, especially in adequately reflecting the wide variety of diversity in the public, in the people it covers, and the reporters telling those stories. This has been an age-old criticism of Canadian media…
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection to Make More Mindful Choices for Inclusion
As an interculturalist engaged in IDEA and intercultural capacity building, I see myself as a lifelong learner who recognizes that there is always more to discover and understand. I am passionate about guiding individuals toward those “aha!” moments that spark their curiosity and foster deeper connections across differences. As the daughter of immigrants, although I was born in Canada, English was my second language. Assimilation was still the model then. To ease the effects of culture shock and foster community connections, my parents were inclined to connect with people who came from similar ethnic backgrounds. However, back then, all I wanted was to be Canadian – to blend in, to belong. Our family also moved around a lot and as they did that my thirst for belonging grew…
Equity is Essential to Achieving Diversity and Inclusion
All people may be “created equal”, but not everyone has the same opportunity to succeed. That’s why “equity” in DEI plays a central role in creating diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Equality assumes that all people should be treated the same – minimizing their differences. Equity takes into consideration a person’s unique circumstances, adjusting treatment accordingly so that opportunities are equal. In short, equity allows more fairness for more people.
Black History: Honouring the Past, Living in the Present
February is Black History Month (BHM). Over the next several weeks there will be posts on social media, newspaper and magazine articles, television programs, and of course many invitations asking prominent Black people to give speeches at schools and corporations…
The Reality of IDEA Must Include Accessibility
Nominated for the fourth consecutive year as Canadian Lawyer Magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential in the Human Rights category, Lorin MacDonald is one of Canada’s leading voices on disability issues. Over the last 30 years, Lorin has demonstrated her leadership, passion, and commitment to accessibility and inclusion in various volunteer and professional activities, all informed by her lived experience as a woman born with profound hearing loss.
Orange Shirt Day & National Truth and Reconciliation Day
We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component.” September 30th is the answer to this […]