INTER-ACTION:CANADA’S NEW MULTICULTURALISM GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM

• To provide an overview of the Multiculturalism Program, while highlighting how the Program can address issues related to religious diversity.

Presentation Objective

• Program draws mandate from Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Policy (1971) embedded in Act;

• Policy encourages vision of Canada based on equality and mutual respect without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour or religion; and

• Program encourages and supports participation by all citizens in building and shaping a cohesive and inclusive Canadian society

Context - Mandate of the Multiculturalism Program

Increasing diversity:

– 16.2% (5 million) are visible minorities, of whom 67% were born outside Canada

– 215 ethnic origins and increased multiple origins

• 47% of Canadians self-identify at least partial origins other than British, French or Canadian

– One-fifth of Canadians are foreign-born

– Growth of non-Christian religions

• Numbers of people in Canada affiliated with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism doubled or nearly doubled from 1991 to 2001

2031 Projections– Between 25% and 28% of population foreign born– Between 29% and 32% belong to visible minority group– 14% of population expected to belong to a non-Christian religion

Context - Canada’s Increasing Diversity

Demographic changes have led to greater religious and cultural diversity, resulting in:

• Multi-layered identities• Residents of Canada overwhelmingly (96%) report that they identify as citizens of Canada,

but also have overlapping territorial affiliations (including global, provincial and municipal)• Mixed ethno-cultural/linguistic identities and affiliations

• Complex intersections between religion and race in public debate

• Challenges to Accommodation & Integration Approaches

• Lack of intercultural and interfaith understanding • Indications of low favourability towards and poor understanding of faith communities• Race/ethnicity and religion constitute the motivation for majority of hate crimes

Context - Challenges of Increasing Diversity

Two streams:

– Projects: Supports mainly multi-year community development/engagement projects

– Events: Supports community based events that foster intercultural/interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values

Inter-Action: Canada’s New Multiculturalism Grants and Contributions Program

1. Build an Integrated, Socially Cohesive Society by:

• Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding

• Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history

• Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins

Projects Stream: Objectives

. Improve Responsiveness of Institutions to Needs of Diverse Population by :

• Assisting federal and public institutions to become more responsive to diversity by integrating multiculturalism into their policy and program development and service delivery

Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.)

• Actively Engaging in Discussions on Multiculturalism and Diversity at International level by:

• Promoting Canadian approaches to diversity as successful model while contributing to international policy dialogue on issues related to multiculturalism

Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.)

• The priorities for the first and latest Call for Proposal included the following groups as primary beneficiaries:

– youth

– youth-at-risk

– faith communities/organizations

– Immigrants

• Thematic priorities included the following:

– citizenship rights and responsibilities

– facilitating positive interaction among different cultural, ethnic and religious communities in Canada

Call for Proposal: Priorities

• Project has been designed to facilitate the community twinning of businesses, schools, neighbourhoods and faith-based communities, with the goal of achieving social cohesion in Abbotsford.

• Community Twinning refers to the exchange of dissimilar or unlike communities to facilitate cultural exchanges which will aid to build understanding and commonalities.

• In order to facilitate the community twinning the City of Abbotsford will develop 2 intercultural hubs to aid in the development of the community twinning.

• The hubs will offer programming such as, youth mentoring, interfaith and intercultural workshops, diversity leadership training, intercultural recreation, arts and storytelling.

Abbotsford Building Connections – Project Example

• Building an integrated, socially cohesive society by:

– Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding

– Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history

– Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins

Events Stream: Objectives

• Events must demonstrate involvement of more than one single cultural, faith and/or ethnic community and establish concrete opportunities for interaction among them

Events Stream: Objectives

• Community based celebrations (intended for and open to all Canadians) of historic contributions to Canada of particular ethnic, cultural or faith-based groups, including in support of Asian Heritage and Black History months

• “Citizenship day’ event for young people, organized by coalition of faith, ethnic or cultural groups within community

• Performing arts events that bridge ethnic, cultural or faith communities

Events Stream: Eligible Activities

• Sporting activity involving members of various ethnic, cultural or faith communities

• Interfaith dialogues that bring together local representatives from Canada’s faith groups

• Intercultural dialogues among community groups of different cultural heritage, traditions and viewpoints

• Public education events which foster intercultural/ interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values

Events Stream: Eligible Activities* (Cont.)

• For funding:British Columbia and Yukon Region1148 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BCBCY-CBY-Multi@cic.gc.ca

For More Information British Columbia and Yukon Region