Anti-racism advisory council hails from across faiths, regions, experiences
CBC News | Posted: February 26, 2019 1:22 AM | Last Updated: February 26, 2019
Council promises strategies to combat, address and eradicate racism in Alberta
Alberta's first anti-racism advisory council will focus on strengthening the human rights commission, improving the recognition of foreign credentials for immigrants and ensuring school curriculum reflects the province's diversity, says Education Minister David Eggen.
The 24 members of the inaugural council met in Edmonton for the first time on Monday, eight months after the provincial government put out the call for applicants from all corners of Alberta.
They represent Indigenous, African, Muslim, south Asian and Jewish communities, among others. Eggen, who is spearheading the government initiative, said the members were selected from among 300 applicants.
Racism impacts all Albertans, said Heather Campbell, the committee co-chair, who is an engineer from Calgary.
"If you can't perform in your role because you're targeted or marginalized, or you're experiencing systemic racism from the day of your birth, how is it that you have the mental strength and capacity to contribute to the Alberta that we want to see?"
Campbell promised the council would put together "tangible actions and clear strategies to combat, hopefully eradicate, but certainly address, racism in Alberta."
The council will be responsible to "advise the government as it develops strategies to end racism and discrimination in the province," a government news release said.
More than one-third of Albertans were born outside of Canada, and 870,000 don't speak English or French as their first language. About 6.5 per cent of the population is Indigenous.
Foreign credentials still a problem
Eggen said strengthening the human rights commission is important "so people know there's teeth to the laws that protect themselves and their families."
Immigrants have made it "loud and clear" that they're admitted to Canada based on their qualifications, which are sometimes not recognized once they arrive, he said.
"We know this is a huge issue that affects the prosperity of new Canadians and affects the prosperity of our overall economy, too," he said.
Foreign qualification recognition has been an on-going issue in Canada for at least 30 years, said Derek Schmuhl, who manages a program at Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers to help immigrants get their credentials approved.
It's a multi-faceted problem, but part of it relates to Canada's points-based immigration system, which accepts people based on their education and work experience, he said.
"These same people who hear the message, 'Canada needs you. There's work for you. Please come,' when they come, the government, which gave the message, isn't connected to industry … and the employer reserves the right to acknowledge your past or not," Schmuhl said.
The government could provide more accurate messaging to prospective newcomers and facilitate credential recognition during the immigration process, he said.
Quebec mosque shooting
The anti-racism advisory council is one of the major projects to come out of a series of high-profile incidents, including the shooting of six men at a Quebec City mosque in January 2017.
Several recent incidents have made headlines in Edmonton, including hate mail sent to a mosque and two men entering another mosque, one wearing a hat with the word "infidel" written in Arabic.