New B.C. anti-racism pilot program looking for applications
Posted August 4, 2022 4:59 pm.
Last Updated August 4, 2022 5:05 pm.
A new B.C. program that offers training on how to help defuse racist incidents is taking applications.
The program is looking for people in small communities around B.C. with a passion for anti-racism work.
“You can’t ignore racism and hope it goes away. This program will give people the tools they need to train community members on how to address racism incidents and make positive changes in their communities,” said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “By providing more people with the skills and knowledge to dismantle systemic racism in their communities, we can build a better, anti-racist B.C. for everyone.”
People accepted will learn skills “needed to offer training on how bystanders can address racist incidents” and how to start conversations on racism and discrimination.
“This training will give people the skills and confidence they need to carry out anti-racism work and train others in their communities as we push forward to dismantle the systemic barriers that have held Indigenous, Black and people of colour back for generations,” said Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives.
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The pilot program is a first of its kind, and is encouraging people from the following communities to apply: Cranbrook, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Houston, Kitimat, Nelson, Penticton, qathet (Powell River), Prince Rupert, Revelstoke, Sechelt/ Gibsons, Shuswap, Smithers, Terrace, Vanderhoof, Vernon.
“We are all responsible for creating safety in our communities,” said Siobhan Brown, Resilience BC member in the qathet region. “Racism and discrimination are injustices that we have the power to address. This training will build our capacity to do just that by combining core lessons with the unique needs of each rural community, so we can create a response that fits.”
Online applications will be accepted until Aug. 11, for the 20 available spaces in the program. Successful applicants will begin their training in October 2022.
