In Ottawa this month, the City’s Anti-Racism Secretariat is launching the second phase of its engagement plan with new virtual public engagement sessions to give residents further opportunities to help shape its work.
The sessions will be hosted with all residents, including diverse communities of racialised residents, to plan targeted actions and inform the six priority areas identified in past consultations – employment equity, housing, governance, economic development, health outcomes and youth development – all of which are within the City’s jurisdiction.
The second phase of engagement is for communities with intersectional identities, which include racialized women and gender diverse persons, racialized youth, racialized persons with disabilities, racialized francophones, and the racialized 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. In addition, the secretariat is working with Indigenous partners to engage Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) residents. More details will be shared on these engagement activities soon. Residents who do not identify as a racialized person but are interested in participating are encouraged to attend the all resident action planning session.
Residents can register for one of the following engagement sessions, by visiting the secretariat’s Engage Ottawa page :
- Community stakeholders (community leaders, community organizations, research experts): Tuesday, July 27 from 2 to 4 pm
- All resident action planning session: Wednesday, July 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized resident action planning session: Thursday, July 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized women and gender diverse persons: Wednesday, August 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized youth: Thursday, August 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized persons with disabilities: Monday, August 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized francophones: Tuesday, August 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
- Racialized 2SLGBTQQIA+ community: Wednesday, August 11, 5:30 to 7:30 pm
In addition, the Anti-Racism Secretariat has re-launched a survey to help determine the immediate needs within the six priority areas. The survey asks residents how the secretariat can address systemic racism, and how they would like to engage and collaborate with the secretariat toward the goal of ensuring a safe and equitable city for everyone.
The survey is currently open to all residents and can be accessed on the secretariat’s Engage Ottawa page . Residents are encouraged to complete the survey by July 31.
All feedback from the sessions and survey will be incorporated into the secretariat’s What We Heard report that will be presented to the Finance and Economic Development Committee and Council this fall.
The City condemns all forms of racism. Municipal governments play a leading role in identifying and challenging systemic racism. Led by its Anti-Racism Secretariat, the City is committed to advancing a more inclusive and responsive municipal government, to ensure all people are served equitably.
Information provided by City of Ottawa
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