|
CITY OF VANCOUVER OTHER REPORT |
Report Date: |
March 1, 2005 | |
Author: |
Holly Turner
| |
Phone No.: |
c/o 604.871.6371 | |
RTS No.: |
04881 | |
CC File No.: |
3055-1 | |
Meeting Date: |
March 17, 2005 |
TO: |
Standing Committee on Planning and Environment |
FROM: |
Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues |
SUBJECT: |
Annual Report for the Year 2004 |
RECOMMENDATION
THAT this report be received for information.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The City Manager submits the foregoing for INFORMATION.
PURPOSE
To provide Vancouver City Council with a report on the activities of the Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues for the period of April 7, 2004 to December 1, 2004.
BACKGROUND
The Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues was established by Council on December 11, 2003.
Objective
The objective of the Committee is to enhance access to full participation in City services for Vancouver's diverse communities. The Advisory Committee on Diversity Issues is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to work to enhance access to full participation in City services for Vancouver's diverse communities, including the multicultural, Aboriginal and lesbian/gay/transgender/ bisexual communities, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede their full participation in all aspects of City life.
Terms of Reference
The Committee:
· advises on matters which affect diverse communities and ensures that the full scope of issues is addressed, including, but not limited to:
o providing input to civic departments in addressing racism and discrimination issues, e.g. hate crime, graffiti, civic rental policy;
o addressing issues of concern, e.g. housing, youth and seniors, culture and recreation, and community outreach;
o working with City staff on civic events which celebrate diversity, e.g. Cultural Harmony Awards, City Hall Lights Program, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
· contributes to City programs and policies to ensure that the needs of diverse communities are considered;
· views City programs and policies through a variety of lenses, including gender, racial origins, income levels, sexual orientation, age and levels of ability.
· works co-operatively with other civic agencies whose activities affect diverse communities;
· engages in outreach to the diverse communities to disseminate information and encourage participation;
· acts as a conduit for feedback from the diverse communities on civic matters affecting them;
· acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes in diverse communities, e.g. civic elections and Community Visions;
· supports groups endeavouring to initiate and develop projects to assist diverse communities;
· attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on diversity issues;
· produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
· submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded.
2004 Committee Membership:
· Rejoice Anthony
· Chilwin Cheng (resigned)
· Tahirih Danesh
· Barbara Downs
· Saeed Dyanatkar
· Klisala Harrison
· Jackie Haywood
· Erwin Nest, Chair
· Maureen Mochuk
· Olga Shcherbyna
· Emese Szcs
· Holly Turner
· Lawrence Woo
LIAISONS
Councillor Jim Green, City of Vancouver
Commissioner Loretta Woodcock, Vancouver Park Board
Trustee Allan Wong, Vancouver School Board
STAFF LIAISONS
Rajpal Kohli, Equal Employment Office
Baldwin Wong, Social Planning
MEETING COORDINATOR
Diane Clairmont, City Clerk's Office
DISCUSSION
1. Guest Presenters
Names of Presenters |
Subject |
Paul Adomako
|
"Euphoria 2004", a series of interactive workshops being held in June 2004 to promote diverse groups of "gay guys" learning and sharing their experiences together. |
Catherine Clement and Paul Heraty
|
Review of City Advertising Policy, Committee's input and advice on proposed changes requested. |
Trustee Allan Wong
|
School Board verbal report on diversity issues in schools: anti-racism program. |
Commissioner Loretta Woodcock
|
A research project on how volunteerism is understood and practiced within ethnic seniors' groups. |
Michael Flanigan, Manager, Real Estate Services
|
Update on the Woodward's project and Committee's input and direction relating to the City's diverse communities. |
Kamala Todd
|
Aboriginal Storyscapes project vision and video. |
Tim Welsh, EASI(Employment Access and Services for Immigrants) Executive Council, and Brian Amouzegar, President, SITE BC |
Foreign-trained professionals - economic integration challenges facing skilled immigrants in Vancouver |
2. Significant Activities:
2004 Work Plan
During the year the Committee developed, endorsed and partly implemented a 2004-2005 work plan consisting of three Task Force groups. Proposed objectives by Task Force are:
· Anti-racism/Diversity Education For Youth: how to enhance Vancouver School Board's relation with our Committee and the Civic Youth Team;
· Public Access to City Services: communication, inclusion, participation;
· 2010 Olympics: access and participation of diverse communities (social, economic, ethnic, academic, religious, gender, age, cultural) in planning, participating in and benefiting from the 2010 Olympics.
The three Task Forces (plans' development and implementation) were established and the work plan is to be approved by City Council in 2005.
Outreach Joint Sub-Committee
In collaboration with the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues and the Advisory Committee on Seniors' Issues, the Outreach Joint Sub-Committee was created. The purpose of the Outreach Joint Sub-committee is to organize Annual Outreach Events between the three Advisory Committees. A meeting of Chairs/Vice Chairs of the three Advisory Committees was held to discuss what areas they could work in cooperatively and hold a joint public meeting.
Foreign-Trained Professionals/ Immigrants Issues
· A number of discussions were held during several meetings regarding immigrants-professionals/newcomers issues. After two presentations, which were made to the Committee on this topic, Olga Shcherbyna provided an update on the status of foreign-trained professionals in other municipalities. It was agreed that this issue is a continuing concern and that City mentoring projects and follow-up with Human Resources should be pursued.
· After Staff Liaison's update on the RFP and its impact on various communities, it was agreed the Committee send a letter to Mayor and Council requesting they advise the Premier that important services will be lost, the City cannot pick up the shortfall and this should be taken into consideration. The letter was sent to the Mayor in December 2004.
Advertising Outreach
The Committee reviewed the current City Advertising Policy, and generally supported the proposed change to advertising policies as presented at the May 5, 2004 meeting with consideration being given to the following:
· inclusion of faith-based communities;
· use of plain language;
· use of variety of media;
· in Number 6 of 3.1 Draft Amendment to Existing Policy change word "advertising" to "communication and outreach";
· in Number 6 of 3.1 Draft Amendment to Existing Policy add words "groups such as" before "ethno-cultural".
Cultural Harmony Award
The Committee coordinated with City staff on the 2004 Cultural Harmony Award event held on November 30, 2004 in Council Chamber, with the tree planting ceremony at the Cultural Harmony Grove on December 3, 2004. Council approved the following awards:
Organization: Buddhist Compassion Relief TZU CHI Foundation Canada
Individual Roz Davidson
3. Future Directions
The Committee developed and endorsed three major objectives of its work plan and the following general objectives will be pursued by the Committee:
· Anti-racism/Diversity Education For Youth: how to enhance Vancouver School Board's relation with our Committee and the Civic Youth Team;
· Public Access to City Services: communication, inclusion, participation;
· 2010 Olympics: access and participation of diverse communities (social, economic, ethnic, academic, religious, gender, age, cultural) in planning, participating in and benefiting from the 2010 Olympics.
· Planning and delivery of the Joint Annual Public Meeting with two other Advisory Committees (Disability Issues and Seniors' Issues)
· Continue exploring immigrants/foreign-trained professionals issues and how the City of Vancouver could better address these issues.
CONCLUSION
The foregoing information is presented to Vancouver City Council for information.
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