OTTAWA, March 21, 2005 -- The Government of Canada today announced the country's first ever action plan against racism."Canada is a world leader in the development of policies and laws to fight racism, but many Canadians still experience racism and discrimination in their daily lives," said the Honourable Raymond Chan, Minister of State (Multiculturalism). "The Government of Canada has for some time recognized that our fight against racism requires a horizontal, forward-looking approach. And we recognize that we have to collaborate more effectively with all sectors of society for these efforts to be successful. This is what we will achieve with this Action Plan," added Minister of State Chan.The objectives of the Action Plan are to strengthen social cohesion, further Canada's human rights framework, and demonstrate federal leadership in the fight against racism and hate-motivated crime."The underlying message of this first ever Action Plan Against Racism is clear: we seek a Canada in which there will be no sanctuary for hate and no refuge for racism," said Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler.Building on Canada's existing legal framework, and on the policies and programs currently in place, the Action Plan establishes a horizontal approach across federal departments and agencies, and outlines a significant number of new and continuing commitments to combat racism. The Action Plan is organized into six areas identified as key priorities. These are:1. Assisting victims and groups vulnerable to racism and related forms of discrimination 2. Developing forward-looking approaches to promote diversity and combat racism3. Strengthening the role of civil society4. Strengthening regional and international co-operation5. Educating children and youth on diversity and anti-racism6. Countering hate and bias"The Government of Canada is firmly committed to breaking down the barriers to full participation in Canada's labour market and society that many newcomers face, and to ensuring that they have the tools they need to succeed," said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Joe Volpe. "This Action Plan will help achieve that vision by educating the general public about the many valuable contributions newcomers to Canada make and by helping to build truly welcoming communities across this great country."The Minister of State (Multiculturalism) will consult stakeholders to assess the progress being made in the fight against racism. The Government will inform Canadians of its progress through the Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.The Action Plan Against Racism received $56 million over 5 years in the February 2005 budget."Eliminating discrimination in the workplace is key to Canada's economic and social development and will help our businesses succeed in the 21st century economy," said Minister of Labour and Housing Joe Fontana. "The Racism Free Workplace Strategy will contribute to the Action Plan by promoting fairness and eliminating barriers to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in the workplace."For a copy of the overview summary and the entire document of A Canada for All: Canada's Action Plan Against Racism, please consult our Web site: www.pch.gc.ca Information: Roy BornmannOffice of the Minister of State (Multiculturalism)(819) 997-9900Stephen HeckbertOffice of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada(613) 954-1064 Peter GrahamOffice of the Minister of Labour and Housing(819) 953-5646Denise RudnickiOffice of the Minister of Justice(613) 992-4621 Backgrounder A Canada for All: Canada's Action Plan Against Racism is the Government of Canada's concerted approach to eliminate barriers to opportunities for Canadians of all ethnic, racial, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. The Action Plan received $56 million over 5 years in the February 2005 budget. The Action Plan outlines a series of new and ongoing measures that the Government of Canada will take to eliminate racism in Canadian society. Some of the new initiatives include: Inclusive Institutions Initiative (Canadian Heritage - Multiculturalism Program) will strengthen partnerships between federal institutions and ethnocultural and ethnoracial communities to reflect Canadian diversity in federal policies, programs, and services. Law Enforcement and Aboriginal Diversity Network LEAD (Canadian Heritage - Multiculturalism Program, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police) will provide law enforcement agencies at all levels across Canada with training, support, and information on effective practices that will improve their capacity to serve Aboriginal, ethno-cultural, and ethnoracial communities. Data Collection on Hate-Motivated Crime (Canadian Heritage - Multiculturalism Program and Statistics Canada's Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) will standardize the collection of data related to crimes and incidents motivated by hate. Race-Based Issues In the Justice System (Justice Canada) will examine whether race-based considerations are interfering with the principle of equality under the law, particularly in relation to perceived racial-profiling and over-representation of certain groups in the justice system. Interventions for Victims and Perpetrators of Hate Crimes (Justice Canada) will identify the unique needs of victims of hate crimes and the most effective ways of responding to those needs, and will also identify interventions and sentences that ensure accountability for racially-motivated offenders and encourage rehabilitations. Signature by Canada of the Council of Europe's First Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime Concerning the Criminilisation of Acts of a Racist or Xenophobic Nature Committed Through Computer Systems will signal Canada's intention to participate in the global fight against hate-speech circulated on the Internet. Countering Internet-Based Hate Crime (Justice Canada) proposes to combat hate via the Internet by working to establish a tip line to facilitate reporting, and working with Internet service providers to identify online hate. Welcoming Communities Strategy (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) is a strategy that works with non-governmental organizations and provincial partners to foster a more welcoming environment in communities for newcomers to Canada. Racism-Free Workplace Strategy (HRSDC - Labour Program) builds on existing employment equity measures; the Strategy will develop new measures, practical tools and best practices that will be promoted and shared, ensuring discriminatory barriers in Canadian labour markets are eliminated.
