Environment & Diversity Project

The Native Bus Tour…and More!

2011-10-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last October 13, the Sustainability Network and Toronto Green Community co-sponsored the “Native Bus Tour of Toronto”, a two-part event that consisted of an historical tour of Toronto from an Aboriginal perspective, as well as a post-tour discussion on how non-profit organizations and Aboriginal organizations/ communities can work together to further common goals. It was originally envisioned that this event would focus on environmental NGOs and Aboriginal organizations. However, there was keen interest from the other sectors of the non-profit community (social justice, faith-based groups, education, arts, community and social services) hence the scope of the event was expanded.

The tour started outside the office of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, the organization that regularly runs these educational tours. Our guide and educator, Don Jabokwoam, was very engaging and quite knowledgeable of Toronto’s Aboriginal history. He first brought us to the Étienne Brûlé Park right by the Humber river. He had explained to us the succession of First Nations that had settled in the area (from the Huron-Wendat to the Six Nations, to the Mississaugas), and how Aboriginal history is fraught with conflict and territorial disputes among various First Nations…no different from that of historical conflicts among nations in Europe, Asia or Africa.

As we moved from one location to the next, we learned more about the importance of the flora and fauna in these places (grass with bug repellant properties, cedar to prevent rashes, spruce trees for making porridge) and how mounds are significant burial sites for some, but not all, Aboriginal communities. The wonderful thing about this information exchange was that the indigenous knowledge and history came not just from our guide, Don, but also from the Aboriginal participants who freely shared their knowledge with the group. This openness in sharing knowledge and opinions perfectly set up the afternoon activity.

Suzanne Methot, a teacher with the Toronto District School Board and a Cree from Sagitawa (Peace River, Alberta), facilitated the post-tour discussion. This discussion focused on how the different groups (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) could work together to incorporate what they have learned during the tour to promote and protect some of the sites that were visited. Results of the discussions included: mapping of areas to reflect Aboriginal history, staging historical plays from an Aboriginal perspective, and tours that tell the real story – which includes both European and Aboriginal views. After sharing their thoughts and ideas, the participants expressed their interest in finding opportunities to make collaboration among their organizations happen.

Photo by Suzanne Methot

Register Now for Collective Impact! The Environment & Our Diverse Society on June 3 @Evergreen Brick Works

2011-05-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Collective Impact! The Environment and Our Diverse Society

Location: Evergreen Brick Works
550 Bayview Ave., Toronto
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Reception: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Registration Fee: $100

Collective Impact! The Environment & Our Diverse Society is a signature event of the Environment & Diversity Project, a collaborative initiative led by the Sustainability Network.

Collective Impact! will bring together environmental nonprofits, settlement agencies, and community and faith groups and is designed to help the environmental movement change to better reflect various ethno-cultural and Aboriginal communities. Thought leaders will share insights and facilitated discussions will showcase success stories. There will be opportunities to explore numerous existing diversity initiatives and ample time to network and develop key contacts.

Keynote Speakers
Michael Adams, President, Environics
Robin Cardozo, CEO, Ontario Trillium Foundation
Melissa Shin, Contributing Editor, Corporate Knights Magazine
Rosemarie Powell, Assistant Executive Director, Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre

Environment & Diversity Mini-Grants Are Here!

2011-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!

Sustainability Network is pleased to announce the first of two annual rounds of Environment & Diversity Mini-Grants.

Funds are available to support nonprofits with environmental programs and activities to consider, develop and implement strategies to better reflect and engage ethno-cultural and Aboriginal communities by responding to the extensive knowledge, interests and important needs of those communities.

Grants to a maximum of $5000 will be made. There is a total of $25,000 in funds available for 2011.

Guidelines and application information.

Diversity Project Manager Sonia Dong Speaks on Diversity in the Environmental Movement

2010-12-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

Sustainability Network’s Diversity Project Manager Sonia Dong speaks about diversity in the environmental movement on the DiverseCity Toronto website. Check out her video story.

Dec. 17 Webinar on Chicago's Community Engagement with Diverse Populations

2010-12-01T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sustainability Network's Environment & Diversity partner Clean Air Partnership is hosting an interesting webinar on Chicago's community engagement with diverse populations. Hope you can make it!

The City of Chicago has formed a partnership with Chicago's Field Museum to engage the public in the development and the implementation of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. The Field Museum has also focused on reaching out to Chicago's diverse populations. Join Clean Air Partnership on Friday December 17th at 1 pm when:

Jennifer Hirsch from the Chicago Field Museum will present on the activities and learnings of Community Engagement on Chicago's Climate Action Plan.

Anti-racism for Environmentalists

2010-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

"There can be no green movement unless there is a also a black, brown and copper movement ... our house is literally burning, and it is only logical that environmentalists expect the social-justice movement to get on the environmental bus. But it is the other way around, the only way we are going to put out the fire is to get on the social justice bus and heal our wounds, because in the end, there is only one bus." ~Paul Hawken

Sustainability Network recently held an Anti-Racism for Environmentalists workshop for the collaborative members in the Environment & Diversity Project. Led by Anu Radha Verma and Muna Ali, the jam-packed day included activities and case studies that addressed social location, everyday racism, institutional racism and systemic racism, environmental justice and environmental racism, a discussion about definitions and a learning session on the history of Canada and colonization. It was great day to learn about each other and about how move the movement forward.

We thought we'd post a couple of the documents Anu and Muna put together for us for you to download - an excellent terminology/definitions list with selected reading and comparison chart of multiculturalism vs. anti-racism. Both are available on the Sustainability Network website.

More about our facilitators:

Anu Radha Verma has lived and worked in Toronto, Peterborough, Mississauga and New Delhi. She is intensely concerned with issues of social justice and has engaged in work around issues of race, gender, sexuality and the environment.

Muna Abdulkadir Ali is a Masters student in Sociology at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her interests include: environmental justice, transnational sexualities, feminist theories, and anti-racism as well as anti-colonial work/organizing.

Saturday, Novemember 6: Toronto Public Library Hosts First Human Library

2010-10-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Public Library is launching its first Human Library on November 6^th. Visit one of five libraries across Toronto on Saturday, November 6^th, 2010 from 10am – 2pm and you’ll have the opportunity to sign out a human “book” and find out what it’s like to walk in another person’s shoes.

Have a one-on-one conversation with a human “book” and learn about what it’s like to be homeless, or new to Canada, be in prison or start your own IT company (to name a few). If you’re interested, you can also volunteer to become one of the books at the participating libraries.

More about the Human Library

The first Human Library was held at Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 2000. The youth organization Stop the Violence was encouraged by the festival director at the time to create anti-violence activities for festival goers to encourage dialogue and help people build relations with each other - and that's how the Human Library came to be. In its original form, the "library" was set up in an outdoor space at the festival where people could come in and "borrow" human "books", ask questions and have a conversation to help break down stereotypes and prejudices.

With the help of the Human Library Organization, which provides a wealth of resources and information to support groups that want to organize their own event, Human Libraries are now held around the world.

In addition to the Toronto Public Library, other Canadian Human Library organizers include:

Douglas College, British Columbia
Coquitlam Library, British Columbia
Moscrop Secondary School, British Columbia
Calgary Public Library, Alberta
Augusta Campus, University of Alberta, Alberta
The University of Guelph, Ontario
King's University College, University of Western Ontario, Ontario

First Nations History, Terminology & Cultural Differences Webinar with Kathleen Padulo

2010-10-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Padulo will join us on November 3, 2010 @10am EST for a one hour webinar to
provide a brief cultural and historical overview of the First Nations who reside within the
boundaries of Ontario.

She will outline the significance of key legislation and policy including; the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Indian Act of 1876 highlighting the objectives behind this Act, and the Constitution Act of 1982.

This webinar will also look at the Residential Schools a chronology of “killing the Indian in the child”.

The goal of this educational webinar is for all of us to gain a better understanding of First
Nations Peoples so we can develop and build long-lasting relationships built upon respect and knowledge.

Kathleen Padulo has her Masters in Environmental Studies from York University. She is from the Oneida Nation of the Thames and has 15 years working experience planning, developing and coordinating programs with Aboriginal organizations and First Nations communities.

This webinar is the first in a series of three over the next several months.

Please register online.

BARC's 'Welcome to Canada' Series on our Environment

2010-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Should I trust the tap water? Where does the water in bottled water come from? Are their dangerous animals in the woods? How does Hamilton’s water treatment system work? Where do I bring those funny swirly lightbulbs anyway?

These were just a few of the questions that new Canadians posed at the Bay Area Restoration Council’s four-part ‘Welcome to Canada’ series on Hamilton’s Environment.

Each session, we met at the Red Hill Branch of the Public Library, thanks to the invitation of Shahira Nabab Jhan, of the Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO).

When some one comes to a new area, it’s not only the language and customs that they may need to learn, but all of the environmental information that many of take for granted.

During the sessions we were able to share important information about local waterfalls, conservation areas and hiking trails – as well as how to access them all, whether by foot, car, bike, bus or trolley. We talked about ways to keep chemicals out of our water, the ‘ins and outs’ of Hamilton’s water treatment system, as well as our waste and recycling programs.

People were encouraged to ask any and all questions about BARC, Hamilton Harbour and our shared environment. The event was such as success that we hope to bring it to more libraries in the Hamilton area.

Sustainability Network Partner Clean Air Partnership Hosts Webinar on Building Better Relationships with First Nations

2010-10-05T08:02:00.001-07:00

Sustainability Network is pleased to announce that Environment & Diversity Project collaborative partner Clean Air Partnership is hosting a one-hour webinar on Building Better Relationships with First Nations on Wednesday, October 6th @ 10 am EST.

The webinar will feature:

Ron Plain and Kathleen Padulo who will share their expertise and experience on what environmental NGOs and municipalities can do to improve relationship building with First Nations and how groups unwittingly undermine those relationships.

Ron is from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, a small community located in Sarnia, Ontario. He co-founded the Aamjiwnaang Environmental Committee, has worked with Environmental Defence Canada and Kathleen is from the Oneida Nation of the Thames. She has 15 years working experience planning, developing and coordinating programs with Aboriginal organizations and First Nations communities.

Join the webinar to find out more about First Nation priorities and perspectives.

Register for the webinar.

Bay Area Restoration Council and SISO Host Successful First Annual Multicultural Festival

2010-10-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: L. Tessier

Sustainability Network's Environment & Diversity Project partner Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) co-hosted a very successful First Annual Multicultural Festival with Hamilton's Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO) last weekend!

Generous donors covered the cost of an HSR shuttle to bring people from Hamilton's diverse East End out to the Bay Front. Said BARC's Rhoda deJonge, "New Canadians were invited to try out canoes, sail boats, kayaks and dinghies in a fun and safe environment. They loved it!"

Photo credit: T. Wiercioch

Over 300 people came to the boating event which also included activities such as fishing lessons from FutureWatch, henna and face painting as well as door prizes from Mountain Equipment Co-op. BARC also partnered with local boating clubs, police, firemen, other local non-profits, the power squadron and even the navy to pull of a wonderfully fun-filled gathering!

Check out more pictures and find out more about BARC's engaging and working with Hamilton's diverse communities on BARC's Facebook page.

New Series of Bus Tours to Explore Indigenous History and Knowledge

2010-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Native Canadian Centre is running a series called The Great Indian Bus Tours, which will offer people with a chance to learn about Toronto's indigenous history, aboriginal wars, lifestyles, medicines, and forms of government.

For more information and to find out how you can participate, check out this article from this week's Yonge Street magazine.

HR Council launches new project to increase cultural diversity in Canadian nonprofits

2010-09-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

The HR Counci l recently launched a new project to increase the cultural diversity of Canadian nonprofits.

The project aims to:

identify key issues preventing nonprofits from accessing the talents of visible minorities
deliver practical and realistic outcomes to help the sector develop a more inclusive labour force

This is an important project because cultural diversity in the nonprofit sector is very low - take a look at the following statistics from the HR Council’s 2008 survey of nonprofit employers and employees:

6% identified themselves as a visible minority (compared to16.2% visible minority across Canada)
88.9% of respondents were born in Canada
8.6% born outside of Canada (compared to 19.8% foreign-born across Canada)
1.8% considered as landed immigrants

The HR Council is introducing the project and seeking questions, thoughts and perspectives during an interactive, live conversation today at 1pm EST. Sustainability Network will be joining the discussion because we are working to improve the diversity of environmental nonprofits.

Will you be joining the conversation?

Sustainability Network at Roadmap: 2030!

2010-09-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking at Roadmap: 2030 tomorrow afternoon at the Toronto Reference Library. What is Roadmap: 2030?

"Roadmap: 2030 will be a thought-provoking two days of innovative ideas and best practices. With an eye to Canada’s future, Roadmap: 2030 will answer a crucial question: how can the public sector better engage with, and reflect, cultural minority, Aboriginal and disability communities in the development of public and political policy?"

I'll be on the Citizen 2.0 panel, which will explore whether social media and new communications technologies have offered benefits to Canada’s diverse populations and whether these tools have increased their ability to engage with their governments and communities. We'll also talk about how new technologies be used to promote representation, engagement, integration and prosperity.

Hope to see you there!

Be part of Car Free Day@ Queen's Park 22nd Sept.2010

2010-09-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Join us for Toronto's 10th Annual Car Free Day
@ Queen’s Park, Wednesday, Sept. 22nd from 10am - 2pm

Toronto's biggest Car Free Day is at Queen's Park North this year. Car Free Days aim to be fun, free events encouraging people to get out of their cars and run, walk, cycle or take public transit. We are partnering with U of T for their Environment Week festivities and including space for community groups. Contact us to reserve a free tables for your non-profit group: email Emma Cane (emmac@sierraclub.ca) or call 416-960-9606.

Are you available to help out at the event?
The event will take place from 10am to 2pm and we need volunteers and supporters en masse. Join us for the volunteer orientation session at Sierra Club headquarters, 24 Mercer St. (near King St. and John St.) on Wednesday September 15th @ 6:30 - 8pm.
Or give us a call/email and we can arrange your volunteering at the day of the event. Contact Emma Cane (emmac@sierraclub.ca) or call 416-960-9606.

We are able to provide documentation for community service hours for high school students. Volunteers can earn up to 20 hours for Car Free Day. And, of course, you get the warm, fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the community!

Please support the event using your networks if you can't participate.
All the best,
Your friends at Sierra Club
http://www.facebook.com/l/0f80eI_QNag3CFpruDlPkRlnzBg;www.ontario.sierraclub.ca/en/car-free-day

Charity Village features Sustainability Network's Environment & Diversity Project

2010-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce that the Sustainability Network's Environment & Diversity Project was featured in Village Vibes - Charity Village's monthly newsletter!

Check out the article here.

Environment & Diversity Project Intern Kasim Tirmizey Lauches "Rouge Stories" Blog

2010-07-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Wildlands League intern Kasim Tirmizey has launched an exciting new blog and facebook site called Rouge Stories which will support outreach efforts to engage diverse communities in wilderness conservation by talking about the Rouge Valley in east Toronto.

Join the blog e-mail list, become a facebook friend, join in the conversation, add your comments, submit a blog posting, and promote the sites with your friends and networks.

Check out the first post about Kasim's experience hik ing in the Rouge here:
Congrats on the launch of your site Kasim!

Sustainability Network Partner Clean Air Partnership Hosts Webinar on First Nations and Environmental Work in Ontario

2010-06-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sustainability Network is pleased to announce that Environment & Diversity Project collaborative partner Clean Air Partnership is hosting a two-hour webinar on First Nations and Environmental Work in Ontario on Wednesday, July 14th @ 1pm.

The webinar will feature:

Brent Kopperson, Executive Director of Windfall Ecology Centre

Brent will speak about Windfall's work with the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation to develop the first joint Aboriginal and Community owned wind project in Canada.

Dean M. Jacobs from Walpole Island First Nation

Walpole Island First Nation is one of the first native communities in Canada to take leadership in the field of environment and sustainable development. Walpole Island has influenced not only its own members, but also the policies of the Province of Ontario.

Register for the webinar

Sustainability Network Out and About: Climate Action Network's Launch of Canada's Climate Change Calendar

2010-06-23T23:38:00.000-07:00

Spotted: Environment & Diversity Project intern Kasim Tirmizey from Wildlands League chatting with Cassie Barker (Environment & Diversity Project's social media facilitator) about Climate Action Network's Climate Change Calendar

The Climate Action Network launched Canada's Climate Change Calender at Hotshot Gallery in Kensington Market, Toronto. The calendar is an innovative way of showing just how much greenhouse gases an average Canadian produces per year compared to someone from another country. Taking a look at the calendar, we find out that the average Canadian will have surpassed the greenhouse gas production of an average citizen from over 40 countries in January alone!

From the website:

"...it takes only 15 days for the average Canadian to have as big an impact on fuelling global warming as the average Bangladeshi will have all year. Therefore, Bangladesh’s "Climate Impacts Day" is January 15 – 15 days into the year."

The calendar gives us a chance to reflect on our contributions to climate change compared to others and brings home the message that we should play a lead role in the finding the solutions as well. It provides a better perspective and understanding of the impacts of climate change on people around the world - and with Canada being such a diverse country, it also provides a key link between the environmental issues new Canadians faced back in their home countries versus their experiences here.

Check out the calendar on the website which charts out the comparison of greenhouse gases produced by the average Canadian to a person from 170 countries around the world.

Celebrate Canada's Diversity!

2010-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of summer, which is definitely something to be happy about, but don't stop there - today also kicks off 11 days of celebration with the following key dates coming up:

June 21: National Aboriginal Day
June 24: St. Jean-Baptiste Day
June 27: Canadian Multiculturalism Day
July 1: Canada Day

So what are you waiting for? Celebrate our country's heritage and our diversity - plan your own event or check out all the events happening around the country, meet some new people and build new relationships.

Organizations: Sign Up for DiverseCity onBoard and Receive FREE Training

2010-06-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

I recently met with folks from Maytree, who told me about a great new perk that's being offered under the DiverseCity onBoard program: register your organization and get access to FREE governance training for your current board members and management staff!

If you don't know what the program's all about, here's the lowdown:

Maytree's DiverseCity onBoard program connects qualified individuals from diverse communities to opportunities on governance boards in the non-profit and public sectors. Maytree helps boards find the right candidates, save time by pre-screening potential candidates, and give you access to our searchable database of over one thousand qualified candidates.

Sign up now, and you'll also be the first to know about FREE governance training available to organizations on the DiverseCity onBoard roster this upcoming fall - topics currently being planned include Strategic Planning, Not for Profit Law, Strategic Resource Development, Risk Management, Finance Fundamentals, Directors' Liabilities and Responsibilities. This training is aimed at current board members and management staff.

And when you’re ready to recruit new board members, you can sign in to your online profile, post a position and get connected with qualified individuals from diverse communities. Maytree helps boards find the right candidates, save time by pre-screening potential candidates, and give you access to our searchable database of over 1000 qualified candidates.

Take advantage of this free service and upcoming training opportunities by registering your organization on DiverseCity onBoard. For more information visit our website or contact Sheldon Mahabir at smahabir -at- maytree.com.

First Nations Awareness Training with Kathleen Padulo

2010-06-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a little update on some recent activities! We had a successful First Nations Awareness training workshop with Kathleen Padulo and our Environment & Diversity Project interns yesterday. Kathleen provided a great overview of First Nations history, geography and culture in Ontario, the dynamics of First Nations and the environmental movement, as well as tips and resources for relationship-building and collaboration.

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Sustainability Network is planning on hosting another public First Nations Awareness training session in the fall; in the meantime, if you're looking for resources, check out our site for some great resources. Also check out these recent reports published by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Environics Institute.

The experience of watching an inspiring documentary: Living Downstream

2010-05-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

I got this wonderful opportunity the other day to attend the screening of the documentary Living Downstream. It was truly an engaging and an inspiring experience. The reason for it being so I felt was because it went beyond the technical investigation about the connection between cancer and environmental toxins and rather raised the banner to an inspiring depiction of a scientific inquiry.

The documentary is based on the acclaimed book Living Downstream by ecologist and cancer survivor Dr. Sandra Steingraber. Her journey as depicted in the documentary was to break the silence about connections between cancer and environment which is not only inspiring but provokes one to question the endless stream of “developmental activities” outside us that may lead us to a point where one might end up paying more cost than reap any fleeting short term benefits. The documentary beyond the scientific inquiry into the relationship between cancer and environmental toxins was an exquisite blend of biology, science, poetry and the power of human spirit.

As someone really passionate about environment and its dynamic interaction with people I was really motivated with the theme as to how one person as a cancer survivor takes the bold step on the journey to bring home some of the very serious issues about relationship between living beings and the environment we live in that we can no longer afford to ignore. The documentary depicts various studies that reveal the existence and the extent to which so many chemicals and poisons have become so pervasive into our environment. One can no longer ignore these venomous chemicals that have the ability to spread their claws through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. So where does one locate the roots of the problem? Is it one terrible chemical being used here and there or rather is it the cycle of developmental activities and its impact on the environmental system that needs to be addressed?

The documentary mirrors the dynamic interaction of our genes and the environment we reside in. The genes that are not only triggered because of the genetic changes that might run in the family but also the changes that might get triggered as an effect to what is happening within the environmental system; slow but definite. Our endless reliance and increased usage of chemicals into the environment to reap short term benefits is actually leading us downstream, the path that leads to devastating effects on the environment and health of the species. Henceforth, the inquiry that needs to be dealt with is: If the Cost that might have to be paid with our well-being is it worth it?

As a newcomer to Toronto and indeed to Canada the documentary brought home to me once again an example of the environmental problems and its impact to the populace that live in the developed world. Beyond the larger debate my take from living Downstream was the power of human spirit, which moves beyond the misery of one’s personal experience and reaches out to many others out there through ones determination, effort and the spirit. The way Sandra Steingraber puts it: ‘What we love we must protect’ and that there will be a definite way where each one of us can contribute and make a difference in our own unique way. After the documentary I indeed asked myself can I do it? Yes indeed I can, finding my own niche and contributing in my own unique way to protect our environment, to protect what we love.

Environment & Diversity Project Intern Training Workshops in Full Swing

2010-05-19T19:00:00.001-07:00

The Environment & Diversity Project internship program is in full swing, with six interns working in each of our six collaborative member (partner) organizations, workplans in place and a training schedule organized. We've placed these passionate and bright young professionals into each of the partner environmental NGOs to work with under represented communities and help them focus on reaching new audiences; at the same time, the interns benefit from capacity building activities led by Sustainability Network such as a customized professional development training program and networking opportunities with sector leaders. In addition, project leads in each of the six collaborative member organizations provide mentorship and guidance to our new young team.

So far our training program has included some great workshops specifically tailored project goals and to the interns' needs. In February we held a full-day orientation and team-building event with interns and their supervisors; in April we had our first project check-in and a social media training session with Cassie Barker; and just today interns participated in a facilitation workshop led by Nidhi Tandon and Kathleen Padulo. Next month we'll be hosting a First Nations Awareness training workshop with Kathleen and the second workshop on social media with Cassie. A summer workshop is also in the works, and will focus on anti-racism.

And don't worry - we haven't forgotten about workshops for our network! Last year we held two board diversity training sessions and and ethnic media and communications workshop, and in January we held a First Nations Awareness workshop - click on the links to find some valuable resources!

Plans are in the works for a new workshop series this fall - stay tuned!

Looking at Things from a New Perspective

2010-05-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

In our Environmental Diversity Project, we talk a lot about looking at the environment from a different perspective - a more diverse perspective. When I began working as the Diversity Coordinator for the Bay Area Restoration Council, I quickly learned the benefits of looking at things differently.

Our four busy staff sit in the small and chilly basement known as the Bay Area Restoration Council’s head office. The location is a major advantage for our organization’s outreach. Why? This tiny office is located in the heart of Hamilton’s thriving, multicultural university, McMaster.

I soon learned how beneficial such a location can be when I tried to tackle one of my first assignments on the job. I had to find a way to reach out to non-Anglophones who enjoy our waterfront parks and beaches.

For the last few years, we’ve been handing out flyers that warn people of the issues associated with feeding geese and gulls near Hamilton Harbour. Besides the more obvious problem of possibly getting your fingers nipped, these fed birds will hang around the beaches and ‘expel’ more ‘feces’. Their feces have nasty bacteria in it that often causes our beaches to be closed. It’s gross, but true.

Unfortunately, these flyers were missing a big segment of the ‘geese feeders’. Many of whom are folks not fully literate in English.

I needed to figure out a way to easily and effectively translate our flyer and reach out to this multilingual group on a limited budget. One quick look at the campus life whirling around me, told me to look no further! I had an extremely well-educated, diverse, multi-lingual group of students surrounding the BARC offices, ready to lend a hand.

Within a few hours of e-mailing all the leaders of culturally-based student groups on campus, I had the text I needed eloquently translated into four new languages.

Please Don’t Feed the Birds!

请不要喂养沙滩上的候鸟！

Xin đừng cho chim ăn!

!Por favor no alimente a las aves!

請大家不要餵養沙灘上的候鳥！

Prosimy nie karmić ptaków!

(Many thanks to Omar and Kasim for helping translate this text into Urdu and Spanish as well.)

Reports Highlight Unique Challenges, Experiences and Perspectives of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada

2010-05-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

Two reports about Aboriginal peoples in Canada recently came across my desk that I'd like to recommend to our network:

Aboriginal Communities in Profile: Ontario

This is a report from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) that provides in-depth analysis of the demographic trends of Aboriginal communities in Ontario. For highlights, check out OTF's press release; and click here for the full report.

Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study

Published by Environics Institute and also supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, this study is a departure from a reporting of the "facts" and instead focuses on the "values, experiences, identities and aspirations of urban Aboriginal peoples." Read the report and visit the project website if you want to learn more about and understand the experiences and perspectives of Aboriginal peoples living in urban centres.

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Looking for more resources? Access facilitator presentations, handouts and web links by checking out Sustainability Network's First Nations Awareness Workshop held this past January.

Do you have resources to share? Post a comment and include a link!

Telling Wild Animal Stories

2010-05-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago I had the honour of working with an indigenous community that lives in the Amazon jungle. The forest and rivers surrounding their community was an enchanting place that deserved being protected. You could feel the place was special by walking into the jungle and immersing yourself in the multitude of sounds, smells, and sights. The stories that the elders of the community told us at night accentuated the magic of the place. In getting to know people there, I got the sense that the stories held deep significance upon their lives and their relationship to their environment.

Electronic media has probably made a significant contributing factor to the demise of oral storytelling in society, but nonetheless I have heard storytellers among different cultural and religious groups through-out Toronto. Humans are storytelling creatures. We love to hear stories and tell stories. So when I was given the challenge to engage diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area in wildlife conservation, I thought of using storytelling as way to invoke wild animals in the imagination of diverse communities.

Some of the most prominent conservationists, such as Grey Owl, have used storytelling as their medium for educating the public. In the 1930s, Grey Owl raised awareness about the importance of protecting wilderness in Canada. He captivated his readers and audiences through storytelling, where he would recount animal tales or tell stories about his experience living in the wild, which provided an accessible and engaging medium for teaching a conservation ethic.

The focus of my diversity outreach in working with Wildlands League will begin with the South Asian community, which in itself consists of a diversity of cultural and religious communities. In reaching out to the Muslim-South Asian community I am preparing a contemporary retelling of the 10th Century Islamic tale The Animals’ Complaint Against Humanity. In the original version of the story, a group of humans become shipwrecked upon an island uninhabited by humans. The humans make a settlement upon the island and quickly begin to oppress and abuse the animals. The animals make a complaint against the humans to the King of the Spirits. What follows is a fascinating story about the meaning of being human and our responsibility towards nature. In my retelling, the story is relocated to Ontario’s Boreal Forest to help us reflect how this medieval story can inform perspectives on wildlife conservation in this region.

Diversity and Inclusion

2010-04-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

The story goes a couple of years back, while I was doing my dissertation on “Formulating interlinkages between population, water resources and quality of life of women in the villages of India”. As a part of the project I had an opportunity to talk to the local people (women in particular), with the goal of understanding how far a policy intervention involves/or does not involve their participation and how it affects their quality of life.

During the study, interestingly I experienced first hand the politics of resources and environment, how certain aspects of planning happened and how it ought to happen. How the presence of a set of players overshadows the presence of the other essential part, discounting the very concept of inclusion and diversity. This discounting was apparent with the role of women being overlooked in the decision making of water resource management. Inspite of women being the managers of water from its procurement to storage and allocation, the policy planning went behind trying to make water more “efficient” to manage, discounting the inclusion of these stakeholders in the decision-making. There was a significant relationship between the nature of intervention and the impact it had on the quality of life of women; such as getting the source of the water closer to home did not necessarily solve the problem of drudgery of walking to the source but rather increased the drudgery of carrying more water home and the amount of time they ended up waiting in queue to fill their pitchers. This is just one such example of policy intervention, which overlooked the need for women to be the part of the process of decision-making, as against negating their passive presence for fetching, delivering and allocating water.

This experience intrigued me to question the aspects of policy intervention that may neglect to include the diverse stakeholders (such as women) into planning leading such interventions to become fundamentally flawed. The significance of diversity and inclusion lies in engaging the often-underrepresented effected communities, and their specific issues, which might go unnoticed in the umbrella view of the mega projects. In this sense environmental concerns become a part of larger social and political challenges that call for a need to think, collaborate and integrate diversity within the larger context of planning, to sensitize one to environmental challenges, and at the same time extend the vision of policies to include marginalized groups.

Welcome!

2010-04-20T04:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sustainability Network's Environment & Diversity blog.

Here you will find information and updates on the Environment & Diversity Project, as well as helpful resources on diversity and inclusion and testimonials from Project partners about the challenges, opportunities and successes they are experiencing in their organizations.

The primary contributors to this blog are Sonia Dong, Sustainability Network's Diversity Project Manager and following interns who work within each of the partner organizations:

Omar Lujan, Intern, Clean Air Partnership
Rashmi Chawla, Intern, Community Environment Alliance
Deepa Hazrati, Intern, Sierra Club Ontario
Kasim Tirmizey, Intern, Wildlands Leauge
Anna Flaminio, Intern, Ecojustcie
Rhoda deJonge, Intern, Bay Area Restoration Council

Please check back often and leave your comments and questions.