Hello Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network and Community Members, We hope this message finds you well! The change of the seasons is upon us and we hope you are taking care of your bodies and minds through this. As always, your active engagement is the heartbeat of our shared success. In this email, we're excited to update you on upcoming events, important initiatives, and opportunities for your community.
Resources for Your Community Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, with funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), offers The Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Course which provides information, tools and resources for service providers to provide mental health care and support to both immigrants and refugees arriving in Canada. This free online course consists of 10 modules, runs from October 30-December 11, 2023 and takes approx. 20-25 hours to complete. For more information, please click this LINK.
BCOHRC’s Baseline Recommendations Database Following our Baseline Recommendations Database launch, many community members have already started using the database. This project was created as a resource for users to easily access and learn more about B.C. human rights. The aim of the database is to serve as a resource that can help these groups implement recommendations and take action to move the needle forward on human rights in British Columbia. To give this database a try, click HERE.
Opportunities for Your Community Truth and Reconciliation Commission Workshop The Canadian Race Relations Foundation, in partnership with the Woodland Cultural Centre, will be providing a virtual workshop on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, facilitated by culturally-trained Indigenous experts. This presentation will cover topics including Canada's Indigenous Policy, the Indian Residential Settlement agreement, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). We will examine the history and policies that led to the creation of the residential schools, their legacies, and why truth and reconciliation is so important. For more information, click HERE.
Healing in Circles Through reflective discussions and meaningful activities, you'll uncover the moments of disempowerment, recognize societal definitions of power, and learn why speaking your truth and living authentically can ignite positive change. This is a free online community event! If you feel moved, we invite you to make an optional donation to SeekHer Foundation. Your kindness will help support our non-profit initiatives to bridge the gender gap of mental health and power more women for the greater good. For more information, click HERE.
Blackness, Indigeneity, and Kinship as Solidarity This talk, brought to you by the SFU Department of Psychology Indigenous Reconciliation Committee, features Afro-Indigenous writer and scholar Dr. Kyle Mays. This talk examines the importance of mino-bimaadiziwin, or the good life. An Anishinaabe philosophy rooted in better relations between human and non-human species, Dr. Mays argues that while solidarity might be fleeting, kinship might be the way forward for Black and Indigenous peoples to resist together, without sacrificing their respective histories and contemporary realities. For more information, click HERE.
Managing Stress & Building Resilience - LaunchPad Live! Looking for ways to better manage stress and other challenges in your personal, academic, and professional life? This online event hosted by Royal Roads University is happening on October 10, 10:00-11:00am PDT and will tackle the following: Strategies for how to manage stress in healthy ways
Tips on how to respond to manage adversity and failure
Strategies to improve physical and mental health
Skills to shift negative thought patterns
A model for building resilience
A discussion on how to cultivate social supports
More information on the event and registration may be found HERE.
For Folks on Lekwungen and Wsanec territory Anti-Racism Training for Middle and High School Educators The Coastal Research, Education, and Advocacy Network (CREAN) is offering a workshop on anti-racism in education on Saturday, October 14, 2023, 12:30pm at 1025 Mason Street. This free in-person workshop provides participants with an understanding of the experiences of racialized students in BC schools, tools for dealing with racists incidents, and ideas for furthering anti-racism initiatives in the curriculum and in classrooms. Learn more about this event through this LINK.
Advancing Black inclusion and addressing anti-Black racism in the community The University of Victoria-Equity and Human Rights is hosting an in-person interactive workshop on Monday, October 30, 2023, from 10:00-11:20am at the Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House). Participants can listen to Tricia Best and Kelci Harris, Co-chairs of the Scarborough Charter Steering Committee, give some progress updates on the Scarborough Charter since UVIC’s signing in December 2021. The Scarborough Charter commits to reduce anti-Black racism and support Black flourishing. If interested, please register HERE.
Foundations to equity, diversity, and inclusion This free in-person workshop, hosted by the University of Victoria will be held on October 30th, 3:00-4:20pm PDT, at the Clearihue Building Rm A224, 3800 Finnerty Avenue. Participants will gain practical knowledge and understanding of key concepts and ideas associated with creating more equitable, diverse, and inclusive spaces. Facilitators of the workshop are: Mami Schouten - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Research Officer and/or Leah Shumka - Director of Human Rights at the Equity and Human Rights office, University of Victoria. To register for the event, please click this LINK.