The advisory committee Call for action against racism is proud to announce the Resolutions 2023: Overcoming Racism Together conference. The advisory committee is proud to have as special guest Senator Bernadette Clement at the conference, which will address the issues of systemic racism. The conference is organized by La Passerelle – Intégration et Développement Économique (I.D.E.).
Resolutions 2023 will be held in Ottawa on October 16 to 18, 2023. This event will bring together leaders from the education, political and economic sectors to discuss on the issues of systemic racism and develop an actionable plan for solutions and recommendations.
Special Guest - Bernadette Clement, Senator
Since her appointment to the Senate in 2021, Senator Clement has advocated for Black people, francophones, women, and other marginalized groups. As a legal aid lawyer and the first Black woman elected mayor in Ontario, she’s witnessed the impact of poverty and racism in Eastern Ontario.
"I am so proud to be the special guest speaker for the conference Résolutions 2023: "Overcoming Racism Together".
As the first Black woman elected mayor in Ontario and a lifelong legal aid lawyer, I have seen how Black and racialized francophones and Ontarians are impacted by systemic racism. I have seen the impact of racism: how economic insecurity particularly affects Black, racialized francophones in this province. And I have seen leaders and community groups come together to provide support and show a different way of doing things.
Since my appointment to the Senate, I’ve had the opportunity to join organizations like the African Canadian Senators Group and Parliamentary Black Caucus whose purpose is to apply a uniquely Black perspective to legislation. We hear from Black advocates, leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, and academics. It’s my hope that I can expand this network of connections and facilitate access among folks with ideas, vision, and initiative.
This conference will bring people together for the crucial work of identifying much-needed practical solutions. The presence of racism and systemic barriers affects the health and prosperity of communities, and we must all contribute to the work of making things better. I look forward to seeing Black people together in Ottawa, a symbolic place of power and government. This is an opportunity for us to be heard and respected in our nation’s capital, and to feel moved by a sense of belonging.
Racism is everyone’s problem. Together, we can solve it."
Senator Bernadette Clement
About the Conference
From the Covid crisis which has shown the precariousness and inequalities suffered on a daily basis by the most fragile black and racialized communities, to the tragic and hateful death of Georges Floyd, through the rise of intolerance and anti-immigration currents that threaten our democracies in an unstable global economic context where inflation, recession and major change in the world of work are looming, more and more Canadians of all origins have become aware of the insidious nature of systemic racism also present in our country.
Collective awareness and time for action are now more than ever essential. Together we can bring about change through our commitment to overcoming systemic racism in our society through tailored interventions.
Act, decide, explain and correct
To continue to highlight the global reality of systemic racism, La Passerelle-I.D.E. has set up since 2021, an advisory committee calling for action against systemic racism represented by personalities from the plural Francophonie of Ontario Canada, whose goal is to identify and understand the sources of this phenomenon, to allow a better understanding, to illustrate the importance of action, to make recommendations that will require concrete actions at all levels of government to begin to make a difference in society and to create a positive momentum for lasting transformation.
Purpose of the conference
The purpose of the Anti-Racism conference is to highlight the systemic oppression faced by Black and racialized communities in Ontario and Canada - with the goal of Mobilizing and Bringing together policy makers and experts to identify systemic barriers and propose concrete solutions.
