National Defence International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination event generates powerful dialogue

April 14, 2023 - Defence Stories

On March 21, 2023, Defence Team members gathered in person at National Defence Headquarters (Carling Campus) and online for the DND/CAF International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) national event. The event featured remarks from Lieutenant General Jennie Carignan, as well as from the Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group (DVMAG) National Military Co-chair CWO Suzanne McAdam and National Civilian Co-chair Denise Moore (accessible only on the National Defence network).

Lieutenant General Carignan launched the event by thanking all Defence Team members present and listening in. "Today we join people around the world by gathering to honour a simple yet profound idea, one voiced eloquently by the United Nations, that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity," she said. She added that this is not the lived experience of too many individuals around the world and even within the Defence Team. IDERD is a day to increase our self-awareness and to think about what we can do better to foster an environment that is safe, inclusive, and equitable for all, she said. "There is no room for racial discrimination or prejudice of any kind in our organization. Dignity, equality, and fairness are the foundation of trust and mutual trust is essential in our workplace," said LGen Carignan. She highlighted that DND/CAF needs to be a place where everyone feels free and safe to speak up about the harm they have faced and/or are facing in the present moment. "This begins as anything worth doing, with a clear and honest discussion, recognizing our flaws, both institutional and individual, with open minds and humble hearts, embracing a better way forward with determination and resolve," said LGen Carignan. She also recognized DVMAG for helping to organize the event and Commodore Jacques Olivier, Defence Team Champion for Visible Minorities, as well as the MC Nadia Cétoute, for the important roles they played.

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• Defence Team Champion for Visible Minorities Message: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
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Sharing perspectives and insights

The panel discussion was the highlight of the event. Cmdre Olivier hosted a thought-provoking dialogue featuring four individuals of different ethnic backgrounds with different areas of expertise in the government and in the CAF. Panelists included:

• Lieutenant Dorin Adenekan, Social Worker, 23 Canadian Forces Health Services Centre;
• Nav K Singh, Member of the Anti-Racism Ambassadors Network and Legal Counsel with the Department of Justice;
• Dr. Donna Pickering, Defence Scientist, Defence Research and Development Canada; and
• Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Robin, Command Chief Warrant Officer, Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.

Cmdre Olivier began the discussion by asking each panelist a question specific to their personal experience. Then a question-and-answer period followed, where audience members were able to ask questions to the panelists in-person or via Slido.

During the panel discussion, Lt Adenekan spoke about the impacts of mental health on racialized and marginalized people. She analogized it to screaming for help while no one is listening and said this feeling of isolation and helplessness has a profound mental impact that is persistently traumatic for many. Yet it's hard for most to speak out because often these racist or discriminatory acts are in the form of micro-aggressions, name-calling, or micro-invalidations, which are difficult to identify and make it hard to seek the right support. This can lead to very negative effects: "It causes lack of energy, low interest in participating in trainings, sometimes we want to even refuse promotions, not interested in taking up new tasks, difficulties staying asleep due to the undue pressure to fit in, fatigue, weight loss, feeling unmotivated in general," said Lt Adenekan. These effects can limit career advancement and lead to even more serious problems. There is an urgent need to prioritize the wellbeing of Defence Team members and to ensure that no one is treated like an outsider, she said.

Nav K Singh, Vice-President of Labour Relations at the Association of Justice Counsel, spoke about the racial discrimination she faced since entering the public service in 2018. "I wish I knew about the horrific extent of the racism and toxicity in the federal public service in many departments, agencies, commissions, tribunals and organizations. I was shocked," said Ms. Singh. She stated that there should be a greater effort to protect the mental and physical health of racialized people within the federal public service. Ms. Singh underlined that it takes bravery to speak out about racism, when instead it should just be the norm. She noted that in her experience, people are comfortable with a complete lack of diversity and many positions have still not been held by people of colour or held by too few of them, even though there are so many who are capable and qualified. "Structural change is required," she said. "Competent racialized individuals will be severely overworked while being mistreated and overlooked and set up to fail repeatedly. We have temporary performative actions when what we need is permanent sustainable change."

Dr. Donna Pickering, whose expertise is in stress and coping and how it affects health, discussed the link research shows between people's explicit and implicit attitudes. "What you're saying to me and what you're really thinking or feeling in your biases could be very, very different," she said. She explained that a study done on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) civilian MDs that found nearly all racialized persons involved unconsciously held a preference towards white people, even though they did not explicitly vocalize this. A meta-analysis confirmed this concept. "Research clearly shows that you may not know yourself as well as you think you do," said Pickering. Furthermore, she emphasized that the cumulative impact of minor daily hassles—like micro-aggressions—can have a more significant impact on your health and wellbeing than one major negative experience. There is a theory, based primarily on cross-sectional data, suggesting that there is a physical inflammatory response to racial discrimination that can occur. "For a short period of time this may not be a bad thing, but if you are chronically in that state of either experiencing something or anticipating experiencing some sort of social negative thing happening to you, your body is on all the time," said Pickering. She conveyed the need to be aware of our biases and the challenges racialized people face every day.

CWO Christopher Robin spoke about his naivete preventing him from recognizing acts of racial discrimination when he was younger, and that as he matured and experienced more racism, he became more cognizant of it and its effects. "I've come to realize, as I was growing up, how cruel people can actually be. I've lived a lot of experiences and not all good. I wasn't one to speak out. I was one to do my own business, you know, trying not to offend anybody, trying to just do my things and make it through," he said. He encouraged people to take opportunities they are presented with and to stay positive, even in hard situations. He said that speaking about racial discrimination collectively is a huge step forward and that he has confidence that positive change will happen. "I encourage everybody to have an open mind. I think everybody can change, no matter how difficult that is," said CWO Robin.

Steps in the right direction

The discussion was profound and enlightening. Audience members, which included 400+ DT members participating virtually, were not shy to come up to the microphones, or submit questions via Slido, and ask their own questions to the panelists. The event was so successful that it ran well over the allotted hour and a half of time. Having better mental health resources for racialized people was a point that was highlighted multiple times. It's a reminder that there is still work to be done in DND/CAF to accommodate those who need support.

In his closing remarks, Cmdre Olivier encouraged everyone to take the time to ponder the information that was shared and absorb it. "And let's continue the conversation, let's continue to build on this momentum," he said.