Cultural Diversity, Gender, Minorities and Public Life

The following is an excerpt from my presentation at Masaryk University on Cultural Diversity, Gender, Minorities and Public Life. Participants included students, government officials and NGOs.

What a pleasure it is for me to speak to you today about a topic which has been dear to my heart my entire professional life. My organization, Community MicroSkills Development Centre, is focused upon facilitating the full participation of women and minorities in the society of which they are a part. Even in a country as dedicated to integration and equality as Canada, inclusion is a challenge, and people can encounter significant barriers. The goal of Microskills is to help minimize the difficulties people may encounter as they travel an uncertain path to financial stability and full community engagement. In our organization, we believe that the people, for whom the change is intended, must be involved in shaping the change they seek.

Evidently, our approach to operationalizing cultural diversity is viewed from the lens of civic participation, political equality, solidarity, trust and respect. Of specific importance to us is respect and trust, because as we practice respect for each other, we are better able to build trust, compassion for each other and which supports a gentler society.

Today, I speak to you not just as a dedicated community worker but also as an academic-in-training: I am currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education /UT.

So, while I recognize and understand many of the theoretical principals which undergird my work, much of my knowledge at this stage is based largely on practical experience—my own, as an immigrant and as a single parent/former abused wife, struggling to support my family. These experiences have influenced my work with the thousands of people we serve through MicroSkills’ many programs and services.

My story embodies the possibilities and promises offered by Canada’s dedication to the promotion of diversity and inclusion through equality and integration. Yet, all too often, this seems unattainable.

Certainly, toward the latter part of the 20th century, democratic societies including Canada became very conscious of the desirability of a diverse society, and the need for such diversity to be reflected in the country’s legislative assemblies. As Canada became increasingly more diverse during that period, the country’s political leadership recognized the need and value of welcoming people of other countries and cultures. Nevertheless, this new direction does not erase the decades of exclusion based on race, origin, sex, or other identity markers that cause immigrants, ethno-racial minorities, and women to be under-represented in critical decision making processes and electoral politics.

To achieve this broader representation as a country, Canada is currently working with two diversity agendas:

1. Recognition agenda: recognizing cultural differences, helping minorities express their distinct identities and practices; and building practices and processes that allow for a plurality of approaches for a plurality of needs (i.e. fairness commission, enhanced settlement and integration programs with increased funding).

2. Integration agenda: bringing minorities into the mainstream, strengthening mutual support and solidarity, and identifying and reinforcing the bonds of a common community (i.e. increased participation of minorities on boards, agencies and commissions, and increased representation in the electoral system).

Cultural diversity is about opening the doors to everyone. When we do so, we all benefit—the neighbourhood, the community, the country as a whole, and our global community.