International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD)
March 14, 2024 - Defence Stories
Save the Date for the National Defence International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Event 2024
What: National Defence International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Event 2024
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (EST)
Where: In person: NDHQ (Carling) Building 10W
Virtually: MS Teams Live Event (Live sound | English Only | French Only)
Guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (you are now leaving the Government of Canada website), the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) recognizes that the injustices and prejudices fueled by racial discrimination continue to take place every day. Observed annually on March 21, it commemorates the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Defence Team members are invited to join the Defence Champion for Visible Minorities and special guests for a national virtual/in-person event on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
This event will be an opportunity to learn more about the impacts of racial discrimination and to have meaningful dialogue that will encourage self-reflection for all members of the Defence Team. It will feature a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
The event will be in a hybrid format. Defence Team members are invited to attend either in-person at NDHQ (Carling) (a DND NCR building pass is required) or virtually by watching the live broadcast of the event (links above).
Find tools, training materials, and resources on combatting racial discrimination in the Defence Team Online Anti-Racism Hub.
Panel event:
The panel will encourage open, honest and constructive conversations about racial discrimination in Canada, and the experiences of racialized Canadians in the Canadian Armed Forces, Public Service and the private sector.
The panel will be moderated by the organizer, Commodore Jacques Olivier, Defence Team Champion for Visible Minorities and Director General Professional Conduct and Development within Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC). It will feature four panelists:
Chief Warrant Officer Suzanne McAdam, M.M.M., CD
National Military Co-chair Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group (DVMAG)
Caption
Chief Warrant Officer Suzanne McAdam, M.M.M., CD
Anne Rahming
Director, Gender Equality, and Intersectional Analysis (DGEIA), CPCC
Caption
Anne Rahming
Dr. Lobna Chérif, PhD, CAPP, CRT, PPCC, MBSP
Associate Professor and Chair in Resilience at the Royal Military College of Canada
Caption
Dr. Lobna Chérif, PhD, CAPP, CRT, PPCC, MBSP
Dr. Satyamoorthy (Kabi) Kabilan, PhD, MBA, FRSC
Senior Executive Partner, Executive Programs – Canada, Gartner
Caption
Satyamoorthy (Kabi) Kabilan
Panelists will take questions from the in-person and virtual audience submitted via Slido during the event.
- Slido URL: https://app.sli.do/event/p2AXXEWiNM1bVYQizzSrgc
- Event code: #IDERDJIEDR24. Please note that you will be prompted to provide your name and email when submitting a question. Questions that are disrespectful in nature will be disregarded. Thank you!
Join us for this important event to learn from the lived experiences of racialized Defence Team members and to gain a better understanding of the impacts of racial discrimination. Together, let’s take deliberate and coordinated actions to foster safe spaces where frank dialogue will drive meaningful change and make DND/CAF a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for all.
Online Survey
A 3-minute online survey will be available for all participants after the event through the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/GXbj54uhYG
Additional Resources
This event may contain language and references to harmful situations which may be emotionally activating for some people. If you or someone you know needs support, please seek assistance: