National Defence International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Event Sparked Honest Conversations
May 6, 2024 - Defence Stories
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Commodore Olivier, Defence Team Champion for Visible Minorities, speaking at a podium.
On March 21, 2024, the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) honoured the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) by hosting a panel event. The conversations that were initiated during the event are ones we hope will continue throughout the year. They were impactful and inspiring, and encouraged attendees to self-reflect on what unconscious biases they may be carrying.
Commodore Jacques Olivier, Defence Team Champion for Visible Minorities, opened the event as moderator with words of welcome and hope for an open and honest discussion.
“Our purpose is to delve into the profound impacts of racial discrimination and engage in meaningful dialogues across the breadth of the Defence Team,” stated Commodore Olivier.
Participants heard from the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, via video message, who expressed the need for the organization to right the wrongs of the past and reminded people that diversity makes us stronger.
Next, Deputy Minister Bill Matthews encouraged members of the Defence Team to call out racism when they see it and to play an active role in eliminating racism within the organization, which starts with open and frank discussions.
CAF Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann spoke about there being no place for discrimination within the organization and that racism needs to be confronted at all levels, regardless of rank or title.
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Four panelists sitting at an elevated table, speaking to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2024 event audience.
The event then transitioned into the panel discussion where each panelist brought a different perspective based on their lived experiences. The panelists included: Anne Rahming, Director, Gender Equality, and Intersectional Analysis (DGEIA); Chief Warrant Officer Suzanne McAdam, National Military Co-chair Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group; Dr. Lobna Chérif, Associate Professor and Chair in Resilience at the Royal Military College of Canada; and Dr. Satyamoorthy Kabilan, Senior Executive Partner at Gartner.
Each panelist was insightful, open, and truthful. Their honesty allowed attendees to feel personally connected to the experiences and stories they shared. Their answers were thought-provoking and inspiring.
A Q&A session saw participants asking a wide range of questions which inspired more personal stories from the panelists. Though many questions were left unanswered due to time constraints, it shows how necessary these conversations are. People have questions about what the institution is doing to support racialized persons, what can be done to hold leaders accountable, to encourage their chain of command to do more, and what can be done at the individual level to support and uplift voices of racialized persons around them.
IDERD 2024 may be behind us, but the work does not stop there. As Commodore Olivier says in his closing remarks, “Let us commit to continue this conversation beyond today. Working together to build a future where every individual can thrive and succeed regardless of cultural, racial, ethnic, or background differences.”
If you missed this year’s event, you can view the automatic unedited, auto-generated video recording created by MS Teams.