Founded in 1983 - United for Diversity and Racial Equality

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES


POLICY INTERVENTIONS:

In 2004-2005, it made submissions to legislators regarding private security, immigration, legal aid, urban safety issues, racial profiling, democratic renewal and workplace equality. In 2005-2006, it intervened in various areas including CRTC policies on diversity in commercial radio and television, the Quebec Government’s proposal for an anti-racism policy, and revision of the Canadian Labour Code. In 2006-2007, it launched a campaign urging authorities and communities to protect Canadian workers in the aerospace industry who are discriminated against by the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) due to their places of birth. In 2009, it initiated a project to assess the situation of unionized workers and labor arbitration, as court decisions have limited access of these workers to human rights commissions.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND MOBILIZATION:

Since 9-11, CRARR has mobilized communities and organizations against hate crimes and racial profiling through public education campaigns. In 2002, it received the Hon. John Conyers, U.S. Congressman (presently, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee) and Ralph Boyd, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, to exchange on policies and programs to combat this discrimination. In 2003-2004, it launched a 4,000 postcard campaign based on the ACLU campaign to inform families and youths about racial profiling; it also launched actions to stop homophobia in dance-hall reggae music. In 2005-2006, it worked with the Canadian Jewish Congress and the National Crime Prevention Center to launch 2,000 bilingual flyers on hate crimes and worked actively with Muslim and Jewish groups in preventing Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in Montreal. In 2006, it co-hosted a lecture at the McGill Faculty of Law on racial profiling, and in 2009, another lecture on race and suspect description, with Windsor Law Professor David Tahnovich. In 2007, CRARR lent support to foreign trained doctors who were regularly excluded from medical intern positions throughout the province, despite their membership of the Quebec Order of Physicians and a shortage of medical doctors. In 2009, to promote institutional recognition of Asian Heritage Month in Montreal, it hosted events with U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, also Vice-President of the Democratic National Committee and Chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacifica American Caucus. It marks the last International Human Rights Day of the decade with a luncheon-conference with Mr. Gaetan Cousineau, Chairman of the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission.

PROMOTION AND RECOGNITION:

Through its bi-annual Frederick Johnson Award, CRARR honors an individual or a non-profit organization that has achieved outstanding results in fighting racism. Its 2002 recipient was Hank Avery, a Quebec teacher who fought for public recognition of a Black Slaves cemetery in Philipsburg, Quebec. Its 2004 recipients were: four Quebec Black farm workers who won a landmark civil rights case against a farming company; Mothers United Against Racism, a group of mothers who mobilized against racial profiling directed at their children; and the Hon. Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General. In 2004, CRARR hosted a luncheon in Ottawa to honor Madam Justice Rosalie Abella, former Chair of the Royal Commission on Equality in Employment. Each event drew between 200 and 250 guests from different sectors. Starting in 2010, CRARR will create new awards and recognition initiatives to honor members and partners who have passed away.

RESEARCH-ACTION:

In 2004, CRARR conducted a major project on the prevention of criminalization of racial minority youths, aiming to help set up prevention policies and programs based on public-private-community partnerships. In 2006, it hosted a conference on model programs in North America on crime prevention supported by private sector companies such as Royal Bank; IBM and La Tohu. It also received the President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) of the United States, Chief Richard Pennington (also chief of police of Atlanta) to discuss diversity competency in policing in Ottawa and Montreal. In 2007, it conducted a project to assess the needs of victims of hate crimes in Montreal. In 2009, it began a study on systemic racism in the Quebec Police Ethics system.

TRAINING AND CONSULTING:

CRARR provides strategic and technical advice to public and private institutions on diversity, civil rights and race relations. It also assists broadcasters across Canada in license applications and renewals. In 2006, it helped the Labour Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada develop training materials for the federal Strategy for a Racism-Free Workplace. In 2007, it provided diversity training to members of the EI Appeals Board and the Quebec Court, and in 2008, to members of the Quebec Administrative Tribunal and the Quebec Public Curator.