Strategic Directions for the Plan of Action
After hearing the deputations and reviewing the submissions made, the Reference Group found that many of the individuals and organizations had similar concerns. There were consistent messages on the priorities for action and the direction the City should take in the Plan of Action. Strategic directions address political leadership, advocacy, economic participation, public education and awareness, service delivery, building strong communities, and accountability.
The Plan of Action incorporates these seven strategic directions.
A translation of these seven major directions, as outlined in the report, is available in the following languages:
Arabic,
Chinese,
Italian,
French,
Tagalog,
Korean,
Russian,
Tamil,
Polish,
Somali,
Ukrainian,
Greek,
Portuguese,
Spanish, and
Vietnamese.
Leadership
Demonstrate leadership in building an inclusive society through the articulation of a vision which values diversity in all aspects of city life.
Lead a responsive organization that recognizes that diverse groups experience discrimination based on the intersection of several aspects of their identity, including gender, race, disability, and sexual orientation.
Act upon the City's multiple roles as policy maker, employer, service provider, grants provider, regulator, and purchaser of goods and services to ensure an equitable society.
Allocate resources for programs that sustain communities and respond to the needs of vulnerable populations.
Speak out against all forms of discrimination and inequality.
Advocacy
Act as an advocate with all sectors and orders of government for legislation, funding and programs to sustain communities, support economic participation and deliver responsive services.
Recognize and support the unique history and position of the urban Aboriginal population and the right to self-determination.
Speak out in support of the elimination of barriers faced by diverse groups and the most marginalized communities and work to prevent the creation of additional barriers.
Establish partnerships with all sectors to build an inclusive society.
Economic Participation
Support the full participation of all communities in the economic life of the city.
Ensure the availability of adequate and accessible supports required for the economic participation of all communities, including accommodation, childcare, literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language) programs, transit and affordable housing.
Implement employment equity strategies to ensure the City's workforce reflects the diversity of the population.
Support the contribution the diverse communities make to the city's position in the global economy.
Public Education and Awareness
Communicate a clear commitment to the value of diversity.
Implement campaigns and programs which inform residents about services, their rights and obligations.
Promote understanding, respect and interaction among diverse communities.
Develop and disseminate materials which document the contribution of all groups to the building of Toronto.
Service Delivery
Ensure that programs and services serve the needs of a diverse population and provide equitable benefits to all residents.
Involve communities in setting policies and priorities for service delivery.
Deliver services that respond to the changing needs of the population.
Building Strong Communities
Strengthen organizations to enable communities to make their voices heard.
Allocate resources to emerging communities so that they can participate in civic society along with more established groups.
Promote literacy and official language ability among residents to enable them to participate and move ahead in society.
Accountability
Strengthen mechanisms for community voices to be part of the City's decision-making process.
Conduct research and publish reliable data with the objectives of monitoring the status of groups and developing policies and practices aimed at combating racism and discrimination.
Establish indicators, evaluation mechanisms and regular reporting requirements to monitor and assess the implementation of the Plan of Action.
Consultation Process
To prepare this Plan of Action, Toronto City Council established a reference group to seek community input on the following questions:
- What priorities should the City's Plan of Action address to eliminate racism and all forms of discrimination?
- How should we respond to these priorities? What actions should various sectors and other orders of government take?
- How can the City help build community capacity and support participation in the social, cultural, recreational, economic and political life of Toronto?
- How can the City work with the community to evaluate progress towards eliminating racism and all forms of discrimination?
- What would a city that has eliminated racism and discrimination look like?
To read the entire consultation report, "Just do it!" (as printed or in plain text), see our Research/reports page.
The consultation process
Over 1,000 people participated in the consultation process.
The Council Reference Group's letter of invitation to participate in the process to prepare the Plan of Action was provided in 14 languages, as well as English, and distributed by mail to over 2,000 individuals and organizations. In addition to press releases, notices of the public consultations were placed in community and ethno-specific newspapers.
Members of the public were invited to share their suggestions through the City's Web site, by calling, writing, or attending a public consultation. Consultations were held with the following five Community Advisory Committees:
Public consultations took place took place at the following locations:
- Etobicoke Civic Centre, Council Chamber, 399 The West Mall
- Scarborough Civic Centre, Council Chamber, 150 Borough Dr.
- North York Memorial Hall, North York City Centre Building, 5110 Yonge St.
At the public consultation sessions and those held by the Community Advisory Committees, a formal presentation was delivered followed by public deputations.
Focus groups were held with specific sectors and groups such as youth, specific ethno-racial communities, business associations, resident and ratepayer groups, community organizations, grant recipients, and faith groups. The focus group sessions were informal and allowed for more focused and in-depth discussions of the issues.
To encourage discussion at the focus group sessions, a kit was developed to capture suggestions on the five consultation questions. Respondents could complete the kit as a group or individually. This kit has been distributed throughout the city and will continue to be a useful tool in engaging residents in these discussions and capturing their ideas on eliminating racism and discrimination from Toronto.
Reference Group
Toronto City Council established a Reference Group of Councillors to oversee the process of holding public consultations and offering suggestions as to how best to eliminate racism and discrimination in Toronto.
Councillor Sherene Shaw
Diversity Advocate,
Chair, Race and Ethnic Relations Community Advisory Committee, and
Member, Status of Women Community Advisory Committee
Councillor Maria Augimeri
Chair, Working Group on Language Equity and Literacy
Councillor Suzan Hall
Chair, Youth Gang Work Group, and
Member, Race and Ethnic Relations Community Advisory Committee
Councillor Pam McConnell
Chair, Status of Women Community Advisory Committee,
Chair, Working Group on the Elimination of Hate Activity, and
Member, Community Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues
Councillor Joe Mihevc
Chair, Disability Issues Community Advisory Committee, and
Disability Advocate
Councillor David Miller
Chair, Working Group on Immigration and Refugee Issues
Councillor Jane Pitfield
Chair, Aboriginal Affairs Community Advisory Committee
Councillor Kyle Rae
Chair, Community Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues, and
Chair, Working Group on Employment Equity
