Roundtable Discussion Highlights

The Urban Agenda: Race Relations and Multiculturalism in Canadian Cities is the CRRF's roundtable series for 2015-2017. The events will celebrate the success of Canadian cities as hubs of diversity and models of inclusion, explore unresolved issues, and identify emerging challenges.

The series was launched in Toronto on January 20, 2015 – "Diversity is Our Strength: Challenges and Promises".

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Opening the session, Toni Silberman, Vice-Chair at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, highlighted the strong values Toronto upholds in respect to diversity and inclusion but also reminded us that challenges exist and need to be vigorously addressed. On a related note, in his welcoming remarks, City Councillor James Pasternak also emphasized Toronto's strength in its diversity, as he expressed that "it is much more than a slogan. It is a commitment from all of us, that we know that we will always have differences".

The discussion was moderated by Rahul K. Bhardwaj, President and CEO, Toronto Foundation, who expressed how fortunate we are to live in this great city but that we have a road of work ahead of us to achieve our goals. The panel addressed the progress Toronto has made over the decades in building harmonious race relations and integrating its ethnically diverse, culturally rich population in city-building processes. The panel was represented by: Michael Adams, President and Founder at Environics Institute for Survey Research; Nation Cheong, Director of Youth Initiatives, United Way Toronto; and Dr. Wendy Cukier, Vice President, Research and Innovation at Ryerson University.

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The Business Case for Diversity

<em><strong>The Business Case for Diversity</strong></em>
Dr. Wendy Cukier, citing research findings by Ryerson Diversity Institute, highlighted representation imbalances between racialized and non-racialized groups in management positions. This is strikingly evident amongst women in corporate management where, for example, white women outnumber racialized women by a ratio of 6 to 1. She cautioned against looking at one dimension of diversity when addressing issues of representation.

To better understand the status quo, it is also important to look at differences within a sector. These inequalities are especially salient for racial minorities and for women. For example, some organizations have 40% board slots for women, whereas around 30% have zero, i.e. “corporate zeros”.  Intersectionality provides additional insight for understanding such discrepancies. Poor socio-economic conditions, for example, affect health, employment access and growth opportunities. Who and how we portray leaders in media also impacts our perception of who shapes Canadian values and influences youth identities and aspirations.

Citing trends in immigration, Wendy noted Canada can make a strong business case by harnessing diversity’s true potential and responding to increasingly diverse markets. She reflected on missed economic opportunities for Toronto and the “people without jobs – jobs without people” phenomenon, stating that a diverse workforce can significantly enhance the success of organizations. She also cited strong evidence for employment growth coming from immigration.

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* 1. Do you agree with Wendy's view of immigration as a force for economic growth?

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* 2. What strategies would you recommend to help eliminate the mismatch between skills and jobs, and to achieve optimal use of the human capital presented by newcomers?

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* 3. Wendy states that we must promote the fact that diversity is linked to innovation and creativity. In what ways do you think a diverse workforce can contribute to the Canadian economy?

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Defining Diversity

<em><strong>Defining Diversity</strong></em>
Nation Cheong presented diversity as a cultural shift that cannot be regarded as anti-racism or anti-oppression. Diversity demands sensitivity, openness and the ability to challenge our own assumptions and socially engrained power relations. Conversation about diversity should involve introspection, i.e. confronting our own biases. The true and deep meaning of diversity, Nation explains, is transformation amongst those who are most marginalized. When thinking of diversity, we must think beyond colour and numbers to embrace a deep cultural shift in our understanding. The focus should be on transformation, which is seated in our ability to build capacity.

Highlighting a number of successful initiatives with the United Way in response to violence amongst youth, Nation underscored diversity as a way to foster greater social capital. This is particularly relevant when addressing youth initiatives and education.

In its most ideal sense, diversity – according to Nation, is a cultural shift that “challenges our concepts of power, privilege, and entitlement. It demands […] our ability to challenge our assumptions – the ones we are aware of, and the ones we are yet to be aware of.” Diversity, in Nation’s view, is a transformation – one that transcends representations of colour, sexual orientation, numbers, and other factors or attributes we often associate with identity or visible minorities.  

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* 4. Do you agree or disagree with Nation’s view of diversity as a transformation that transcends factors or attributes often associated with identity or visible minorities?

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* 5. What is your view of diversity?

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* 6. How can we move from a discourse/model of 'tolerance' to one that embraces diversity, and how can we find a common Canadian identity/experience in this?

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Multiculturalism and Canadian Values

<em><strong>Multiculturalism and Canadian Values</strong></em>
Addressing diversity, Michael Adams noted the many dimensions and identities it entails, and the challenge in forging a vast amount of empirical data into cohesive analysis. While Toronto has come a long way, Michael maintains eradication of discrimination is a work in progress and the City of Toronto’s motto “Diversity Our Strength” is aspirational.

Notwithstanding the challenges in keeping up with the promise of diversity or fully understanding its impact, Canadians in general value multiculturalism and are likely to see immigrants as a positive force for economy. Immigration is also necessary to maintain a healthy population growth. Canada, compared to other countries, is particularly noted for its success in facilitating diversity for civic engagement and nation-building, e.g. number of new citizens per year or percentage of immigrant MPs in the House of Commons. However, many still have concerns regarding the speed at which immigrants adopt Canadian values.

Michael noted “the history of hatred, racism and prejudice runs deep in [Canada], and its eradication is very much a work in progress… The official policy of multiculturalism and recognition of diversity as our strength are aspirational values of the Canadians; they are not realities manifested in every aspect of social or economic life.”

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* 7. How much do you agree or disagree with Michael’s statement that the official policy of multiculturalism and recognition of diversity as our strength are aspirational?

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* 8. What are your thoughts on multiculturalism and Canadian values?

Michael highlighted challenges and trends in income inequality and “racialized poverty,” issues not exclusive to Toronto. Nation stressed the importance of social capital; diversity fosters relationships between communities hence strengthening our collective values. He also discussed how globalization has changed our (and especially youth’s) relationships with individuals around the world.

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* 9. Name up to three issues or challenges you believe are critical to confront to make diversity work in Canadian cities.

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* 10. What is your vision for a successful multicultural polity?

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* 11. What can be done at the community and grassroots level to foster social cohesion?

Youth and Education

The panelists also discussed how Canada can mobilize community assets to create inclusion and what those assets could be. Michael cited public education as an important social institution, and ensuring Canadians have equality of opportunity is vital. Wendy added that youth, being aware of disparities in choices, do not feel they have equality of opportunity. For marginalized youth to succeed, efforts should be made to improve access to education and the development of soft skills. One way that this could be done is by mobilizing university students to work with and mentor high school students. Intersectionality and issues around media representations, e.g. role models, also need to be addressed.

We need to embed critical thinking skills in youth at an early age to analyze these representations and cultural biases. Nation urged to bring the education system into the 21 century, to revamp it by looking at what has not worked, and who have not found success in the system.

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* 12. How do you rank the importance of the youth priorities identified by the panelists?

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* 13. What are some additional ideas to help young people succeed?

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* 14. How can young people be engaged in dialogue about diversity and representation?

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