INTER-ACTION: CANADA’S NEW MULTICULTURALISM GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM

1. INTER-ACTION: CANADA’S NEW MULTICULTURALISM GRANTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM

2. Presentation Objective • To provide an overview of the Multiculturalism Program, while highlighting how the Program can address issues related to religious diversity.

3. Context - Mandate of the Multiculturalism Program • Program draws mandate from Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988) and the Canadian Multiculturalism Policy (1971) embedded in Act; • Policy encourages vision of Canada based on equality and mutual respect without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour or religion; and • Program encourages and supports participation by all citizens in building and shaping a cohesive and inclusive Canadian society

4. Context - Canada’s Increasing Diversity • Increasing diversity: • 16.2% (5 million) are visible minorities, of whom 67% were born outside Canada • 215 ethnic origins and increased multiple origins • 47% of Canadians self-identify at least partial origins other than British, French or Canadian • One-fifth of Canadians are foreign-born • Growth of non-Christian religions • Numbers of people in Canada affiliated with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism doubled or nearly doubled from 1991 to 2001 • 2031 Projections • Between 25% and 28% of population foreign born • Between 29% and 32% belong to visible minority group • 14% of population expected to belong to a non-Christian religion

5. Context - Challenges of Increasing Diversity Demographic changes have led to greater religious and cultural diversity, resulting in: • Multi-layered identities • Residents of Canada overwhelmingly (96%) report that they identify as citizens of Canada, but also have overlapping territorial affiliations (including global, provincial and municipal) • Mixed ethno-cultural/linguistic identities and affiliations • Complex intersections between religion and race in public debate • Challenges to Accommodation & Integration Approaches • Lack of intercultural and interfaithunderstanding • Indications of lowfavourabilitytowards and poorunderstanding of faithcommunities • Race/ethnicity and religion constitute the motivation for majority of hate crimes

6. Inter-Action: Canada’s New Multiculturalism Grants and Contributions Program Two streams: • Projects: Supports mainly multi-year community development/engagement projects • Events: Supports community based events that foster intercultural/interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values

7. Projects Stream: Objectives • Build an Integrated, Socially Cohesive Society by: • Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding • Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history • Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins

8. Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.) . Improve Responsiveness of Institutions to Needs of Diverse Population by : • Assisting federal and public institutions to become more responsive to diversity by integrating multiculturalism into their policy and program development and service delivery

9. Projects Stream: Objectives (cont.) • Actively Engaging in Discussions on Multiculturalism and Diversity at International level by: • Promoting Canadian approaches to diversity as successful model while contributing to international policy dialogue on issues related to multiculturalism

10. Call for Proposal: Priorities • The priorities for the first and latest Call for Proposal included the following groups as primary beneficiaries: • youth • youth-at-risk • faith communities/organizations • Immigrants • Thematic priorities included the following: • citizenship rights and responsibilities • facilitating positive interaction among different cultural, ethnic and religious communities in Canada

11. Abbotsford Building Connections – Project Example • Project has been designed to facilitate the community twinning of businesses, schools, neighbourhoods and faith-based communities, with the goal of achieving social cohesion in Abbotsford. • Community Twinning refers to the exchange of dissimilar or unlike communities to facilitate cultural exchanges which will aid to build understanding and commonalities. • In order to facilitate the community twinning the City of Abbotsford will develop 2 intercultural hubs to aid in the development of the community twinning. • The hubs will offer programming such as, youth mentoring, interfaith and intercultural workshops, diversity leadership training, intercultural recreation, arts and storytelling.

12. Events Stream: Objectives • Building an integrated, socially cohesive society by: • Building bridges to promote intercultural understanding • Fostering citizenship, civic memory, civic pride, and respect for core democratic values grounded in our history • Promoting equal opportunity for individuals of all origins

13. Events Stream: Objectives • Events must demonstrate involvement of more than one single cultural, faith and/or ethnic community and establish concrete opportunities for interaction among them

14. Events Stream: Eligible Activities • Community based celebrations (intended for and open to all Canadians) of historic contributions to Canada of particular ethnic, cultural or faith-based groups, including in support of Asian Heritage and Black History months • “Citizenship day’ event for young people, organized by coalition of faith, ethnic or cultural groups within community • Performing arts events that bridge ethnic, cultural or faith communities

15. Events Stream: Eligible Activities* (Cont.) • Sporting activity involving members of various ethnic, cultural or faith communities • Interfaith dialogues that bring together local representatives from Canada’s faith groups • Intercultural dialogues among community groups of different cultural heritage, traditions and viewpoints • Public education events which foster intercultural/ interfaith understanding, civic memory/pride and/or respect for core democratic values

16. For More Information British Columbia and Yukon Region • For funding: British Columbia and Yukon Region 1148 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC BCY-CBY-Multi@cic.gc.ca