Commit to a Racism Free Edmonton

The change begins with you!

Everyone wants be treated fairly and respectfully, be included and participate fully in our communities and workplaces. Strong and welcoming communities and workplaces include all people.

Communities and workplaces can be changed to be more welcoming and inclusive by treating each other with respect and fairness in our day-to-day lives.

Look at yourself

• How much do you know about your own culture?
• How does it affect your beliefs, attitudes, customs and behaviour?
• In what ways is your culture different from the culture of other people you know?
• You may be a blend of cultural backgrounds you can't easily label. It still an important part of who you are.
• What other characteristics influence your point of view?
• How do they affect your beliefs, attitudes, customs and behaviour?
• How do they interact with your cultural background to affect your beliefs and actions?

Give people a chance

• First impressions are often based on stereotypes or past experiences and therefore may not be correct
• Your views are simply one “take” or perspective on a subject.
• Realize other people have different perspectives. Find common ground instead of assuming you or the other person will have to give in.

Get to know your community

• Notice the diversity among people in your neighbourhood. Compare it to the groups you belong to. Who do you see? Who is missing? If there are differences, think about why that is.
• Look at demographic and socio-economic information about your community. Visit: http://www.finance.gov.ab.ca/aboutalberta/ped_profiles/index.html
• Learn about the countries immigrants come from. Look the countries up in an atlas or on the Internet.
• Learn about various faith and spiritual groups in your community. http://www.edminterfaithcentre.ca/
• Attend a bazaar, fair or festival that you’ve never been to before.
• Ask to have a tour of a local temple or mosque.

Get involved in your community or neighbourhood

• Volunteer for a community group where you will help or work with people of diverse backgrounds.
• Ask about immigrant serving agencies or other organizations where you can help a newcomer learn about life in Canada and how to get settled in your community.
• Meet your neighbours. Introduce yourself. Have a conversation. Invite them to join you for a drink or a meal.
• When on the sidelines watching your child play a sport, start a conversation with another bystander. Notice who comes alone or has no one to talk with. Talking about the children or the game is a good conversation starter.
• Invite a spiritual leader from another faith or spiritual group to speak to your community association or a group you belong to.

Learn something new

• Be open to learning new ideas and ways of doing things. Encourage your friends, children and other family members to do the same.
• Try something new. Eat a new kind of food, go to a different grocery store or bakery, attend a foreign movie, or rent a foreign video or DVD.
• Learn more about the celebration of different holidays (Chinese New Year, Hannukah, Divali, Kwanzaa, etc.) http://www.edminterfaithcentre.ca/
• Learn another language or a few words in the language of a friend, neighbour or co-worker. Even the simple act of trying to pronounce a person’s name correctly is appreciated.

Talk with others

• Listen carefully to someone you think has an accent. Don’t assume they don't speak English because the accent is different from yours.
• Get to know the people you meet. Ask questions. Show interest in the work they do, their customs and  language.
• Many people from visible minorities are long time residents of Edmonton. Asking where are you from can sound like you think they are new to the country. Ask instead , have you always lived in Edmonton?
• Share your stories. Tell about your upbringing and background and learn about theirs. Learn about other people and their contributions. A conversation that starts about food or superstitions, for example, may develop into a discussion of beliefs and values.
• Avoid telling jokes that make fun of others or make them look inferior or unintelligent. Ethnic jokes and jokes based on gender, disability or other personal characteristics put down or demean members of a group. The safest jokes are those you tell about yourself and something that happened to you.
• Speak up if you hear remarks or jokes that are offensive or hurtful. Let others know that you are not interested in hearing jokes that put down or make fun of people. You can say “Please keep that kind of joke/comment to yourself.” Or “I don’t find that funny.” Or “I don’t appreciate that kind of humour.”

Make a difference at work

• People of diverse backgrounds provide a broad range of experiences and solutions and can offer new ways of addressing concerns. A wider range of perspectives may challenge your thinking and may lead to new solutions.
• Is there anyone in your workplace who consistently gets left out at work or in social situations, or whose comments are not really listened to? Find ways to include them. People who are in a minority in a workplace may not feel part of the larger group or may feel uncomfortable drawing attention to themselves and speaking up.
• If you make a remark to a co-worker that you realize is insensitive or inappropriate, correct the situation by apologizing immediately. If you let the remark stand, it may continue to be a source of upset or annoyance. It could even affect the other person’s performance or attitude about the workplace.

For More Information

Racism Free Edmonton

Telephone	780-495-1957