This month is a reminder to honour diversity, resist the erasure of identities, and stand up against discrimination. 

It’s National Indigenous History Month, when we honour the rich culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. As settlers on these lands, we celebrate the vibrancy of Indigenous cultures while also reflecting, learning, and unlearning together.  

June is also Pride Month in Canada, when we celebrate the diversity and accomplishments of 2SLGBTQ+ communities. In addition, we acknowledge the oppression and hardship they have faced, and recommit to breaking down those barriers.

On June 18th, the United Nations marked the International Day for Countering Hate Speech for the first time.  

Read on to see how our communities are working together to end hate and violence.  

WHAT'S NEW WITH UNITED FOR ALL

Coalition members give feedback to Special Joint Committee

United for All submitted a letter to the federal government’s Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency. This letter called for themes to be investigated as part of the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy that occupied Ottawa for nearly a month.  

The themes included:  

• acknowledge the harms inflicted on our communities;  
• understand and recognize the threat of far-right extremism, and; 
• restore trust in public institutions. 

Champions Table steps up to support impact

At the latest United for All Champions Table meeting, participants identified their areas of influence that can:

• support the development of a tool to measure the impact of our collective work;  
• more broadly communicate the work of United for All; and 
• position the work of United for All in front of policymakers to continue to drive our mission. 

Learn more about the structure of United for All's coalition and champions table

COALITION MEETING RECAP 

Preventing and surviving online hate

At the June 22, 2022 United for All coalition meeting, speakers Vivek Venkatesh, Kara Brisson-Boivin of MediaSmarts, and Noor Fadel covered the dynamics of online hate, and approaches to tackling it in personal and professional interactions.  

To set the context, Noor shared her story of suffering a violent racist attack on public transit in Vancouver. Afterwards, she posted about the attack online, which led to a long-lasting barrage of hateful messages, demonstrating how victims of violence can be retraumatized by resisting and addressing hate. 

“I don’t even remember the physical hit of the man, but I found that the [online hate and negativity] stuck with me more than any of the other stuff that happened.” —Noor Fadel 

The themes of the subsequent panel discussion between Vivek, Kara, and Noor varied widely. United Way East Ontario’s Abid Jan moderated the conversation through topics like victim support, perpetrator support, funding for preventative services and approaches, empathy and listening, digital literacy, social skills education and more. Here are some key takeaways speakers shared during the session: 

• Online hate is different than in-person acts of hate because it reproduces quickly, lasts for a long time, and is difficult for law enforcement and governments to engage with. Additionally, online spaces have helped hate movements gain traction and become more mainstream, with hateful ideologies making their way into political platforms, mainstream media, and interpersonal interactions.  

• Hate speech, hate crimes, and extremism are defined differently between communities, making it hard to approach the issue consistently. 

• Individuals and communities have a strong role to play in preventing and confronting online hate, but many don’t know how to intervene effectively. MediaSmarts shared an educational resource for teachers to help youth push back against hate and prejudice.  

• Hate is not the only factor in violence: other vulnerabilities, like mental health and social isolation, can play a part in moving perpetrators along the spectrum from feeling hate to enacting violence.  

• For educators, cultivating safe spaces where young people can question their own and others’ beliefs and worldviews, and investigate the sources of those perspectives with dignity fosters confidence in thinking critically and making informed decisions. 

• Digital literacy is important to help people, especially youth, identify misinformation, disinformation, echo chambers, empathy traps, and algorithms that distort their ability to engage constructively in online spaces. 

“We need to ensure that all people in Canada, especially young people, are supported and have tools and critical capacities to safely and positively engage online as ethical digital citizens.” —Kara Brisson-Boivin 

• Frontline social services and educators can play a critical role in violence prevention by engaging with potential perpetrators in positive ways, and supporting victims of hate. However, those services and education are often under-resourced compared to reactive approaches like law enforcement.  

See the "News & Resources" section for more information about the tools shared by Vivek and Kara.  

STRONGER COMMUNITIES FOR ALL

Neighbourhood Equity Index shows hyper-local impacts of systemic racism and areas for action 

The Neighbourhood Equity Index (NEI)’s Portrait of Ottawa’s Black Community shows how systemic anti-Black racism results in significant inequities for the local Black population in employment, housing, health, education, income, and more. 

BGC Ottawa publishes equity commitments  

Acknowledging that systemic and institutionalized racism and oppression impact the children and youth, staff, volunteers, and communities they serve, BGC Ottawa recently released an equity policy to guide all facets of its work.  

GET INVOLVED

Ontario Grant to Support Anti-Hate Security Measures

Apply by August 31, 2022

This $15 million grant will provide funds to faith-based and cultural organizations that host regular gatherings to increase safety and security.

“I think it's very difficult to understand what somebody else is going through. But perhaps we can start thinking through a frame of compassion. Stop saying ‘I understand you,’ and start saying ‘I hear you, and what can I do to help?’”

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—Vivek Venkatesh, UNESCO co-Chair in Prevention of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism