Racism creates a ripple effect of exceedingly detrimental impacts to individuals, communities, and the collective wellbeing of any given geographical or social region as a whole. Though all who experience racism are subject its negative and harmful effects, children are especially vulnerable to the consequences. Racism exists in many forms, including racially or culturally-based prejudice, discrimination, bias, stereotyping, or violence. In order to gauge the level of racism that school-aged children experience in Alberta, as well as assess teacher preparedness with regards to teaching multiculturalism in classrooms, we conducted a research project and subsequent report outlining the issues. The report examines race relations in K-12 classrooms throughout urban and rural Alberta, and measures teacher knowledge and preparedness in the context of educating students on multiculturalism and racism. 

From August 2017 to June 2018, teachers were contacted in person and online to complete an anonymous survey that answered various questions related to the research topic. Teachers were also given the opportunity to elaborate on their responses through comments on the online questionnaire, as well as through in person interviews. The researchers received 150 responses that were later used for the purposes of data analysis and to compose a research report that was released to the public on July 22, 2019. Another purpose of the research was for the foundation to examine if there is a need to develop a K-12 resource hub that teachers could utilize in order to teach multiculturalism, anti-racism, and inclusion to their classrooms in the future.

On June 16, 2019, the conservative party members from the Coalition Avenir Quebec, passed legislation known as Bill 21 which bans state workers from wearing religious symbols in a move toward secularism. The bill specifically targets items including hijabs, turbans, kippahs, as well as publicly worn crosses. 
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As an organization, Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation's mission is to improve race relations across Canada and to better support the  diversity of our world through policy and practice. This legislation shows that our work must continue in collaboration until all forms of hate are eliminated.  We disagree with this bill and condemn the acts of the conservative government for their acts of religious discrimination. While the government has stated that the bill upholds the secular identity of Quebec, we believe that the bill clearly targets religious minorities and their practices, forcing individuals to choose between their religion and their jobs.

Thousands of Quebec citizens, now more than ever, will be openly discriminated against and could be the target of hate crimes that could now be legitimized by way of this bill and its proponents. We have to all ensure we are creating a shift in our society to ensure all members feel safe and are able to participate, instead of creating division. 

Drop by our interactive art installation during Empathy Week. Participants are invited to tie a ribbon onto a wall, on which they have written a wish or a prayer. This free event allows us to experience what others wish for or think about, in order to connect to the human experience and empathize with others.

This installation was inspired by the concept of tying wishes or prayers onto objects, which has been practiced in various world cultures and traditions for thousands of years. This event takes place during Empathy Week and is created in partnership with Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation, Humainologie and Arts Commons.

Empathy Week is a seven-day festival of events which promote empathy, human connection and the recognition of our shared humanity. ​

Alberta’s first council dedicated to combating racism will bring expertise and experience to assist in government’s commitment to end racism.

The council includes 24 members plus Education Minister David Eggen, who is responsible for government’s anti-racism initiative. The council will advise government as it develops strategies to end racism and discrimination in Alberta. This council is the first of its kind in the province.
More than 300 Albertans applied to participate on the council.  Members were selected for their demonstrated leadership abilities and experience in advocating for diverse communities. The council includes people from various faiths and other diversities, and members represent regions across the province.

Congratulations to our founding member, Iman Bukhari, for getting a spot on the council!

The launch of our Race Issues publication and meme campaign has been incredibly well received. At the launch of the event and 3 days of the exhibition, we had a total of 400 people come out and engage in the comic art, as well as speak and write about their own experiences. It has been a great learning opportunity for local Calgarians, especially youth. The online campaign has also taken off and we're hoping for it to go viral.

Help us spread the word by hashtaging #raceissues and sharing our images. Find out more about the project.

Our annual and national Anti-Racism Arts Festival will take place in Vancouver this year. This free festival is an opportunity for citizens to take part in anti-racism action through arts. 

All events take place at the Collingwood Neighbourhood House - Annex, 3690 Vanness Ave, Vancouver, BC V5R 5B6

Take part in the festival today!

Our members Iman Bukhari and Mansharn Toor are excited to present at the 2018 FCSSAA Annual Conference. The presentation will take place on November 29 and be focused on  "Looking at Race Relations across Canada in 2018." 
Learn more about the conference.

Join us for our event in September with our newest team member. 

De Mule ah De World is a multimedia exploration of Black womanhood by spoken word artist and emerging photographer Mel Vee.

Join our Language De-Coded event! This event aims to provide the public with tangible tools to tackle ableism, ageism, heterosexism, racism and sexism through our language. During the event, you will learn to adopt an inclusive vocabulary and promote others to accept, embrace and celebrate our differences. Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation will be launching their new resource guide and online app to tackle these -isms.

Panel members from diverse backgrounds and specialties will discuss their own experiences and tactics in tackling ableism, ageism, heterosexism, racism and sexism through language.

This free event is brought to you by a collaboration between Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation and CommunityWise Resource Centre. This venue has limited capacity, so we highly encourage attendees to RSVP with an eventbrite ticket. A waiting list will be available on the day of the event, but we cannot confirm spots if it's over capacity.

We would like to thank the Calgary Foundation for helping support this event through the Stepping Stones grant.
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Location's Accessibility:
CommunityWise is located in downtown Calgary, at 223 12th Ave SW. There is a ramp available to the main entrance, as well as a series of stairs and a handrail on both sides. Bathrooms are gender neutral and there is a wheelchair accessible stall.

Location's Land Acknowledgement:
CommunityWise is located in the traditional territories of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikuni, the Kainai, the Tsuu T’ina, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nations. The city of Calgary is also home to Metis Nation of Alberta, Region III.