February 2022 Newsletter

Neethan Shan, Executive Director

"February is Black History Month. This month, we join Canadians from all across the country in sharing and learning about the rich contributions and histories of Black communities in Canada and around the world. As part of our celebrations, we are pleased to invite you to the launch of our 2nd annual Black Youth Fellowship with Toronto Municipal Government (details below). 

2022 promises to be a very busy and productive year for us at UARR. With everything we have been able to accomplish in 2021, we are very hopeful for the progress in 2022. At UARR, we're commencing the new year with some established projects and some new ones. Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic over the past two years, we are offering valuable programs for the youth leadership, we are strengthening our strategy to build an equitable education system, we are creating new partnerships, and most importantly we are continuing to fight against systemic racism and discrimination at all levels. Your support has been integral to everything we have been able to achieve in the past year. We are deeply grateful for all of our supporters, donors, sponsors, stakeholders and volunteers. Though we are proud of what we were able to accomplish in 2021, there is much more to be done. We are looking forward to setting new heights and delivering on our mandate for a better, equal and just society!"

Black Youth and Families Leadership Workshops

The Collation of Racial Equity in Education is working with ONABSE to support community advocacy against Anti-Black Racism in the education system. This program provides a platform for Black youth, parents, and guardians to demand for safer spaces for Black children in local school systems. This month we are hosting a leadership series of workshops for Black highschool students, parents and guardians to build community capacity. As we celebrate Black History Month and honour the freedom fighters those who came before us, we continue their legacy by advocating for systemic changes and brighter Black futures.

 

Black Parent/Guardian Advocacy Series Registration

 

Black Student Advocacy Leadership Series Registration

 

Diversity Youth Fellowship Program

The Diversity Youth Fellowship program is a non-partisan youth development and internship program where politically motivated youth from a number of diverse backgrounds are placed in the offices of elected representatives at City Hall during a 3-month placement. Earlier this month 14 fellows from the Tamil and Black youth fellowship programs were matched with their respective offices and most of them have begun their placements this week. You can learn more about these fellows by keeping up to date with our socials (@uarrcanada and @tamilyouthfellowship) and attending our future launch events. The fellows will be undergoing a 3-month placement and will also have the opportunity to work on independent community projects that seek to address a particular need within the community, and they have already received training on a number of topics that range from city hall orientation to anti-racism and anti-oppression.

Muslim Youth Fellowship Application

The Muslim Youth Fellowship applications have launched, with the next cohort starting their journeys in March. Please apply below before the deadline if you're interested in working at City Hall and helping better shape how we do government in our City.

For any questions you may have please email [email protected]

Deadline: March 1st, 2022 

Muslim Youth Fellowship Graduation

On February 17th at 6:30 PM. the Muslim Youth Fellowship will be hosting a graduation celebration for the 2021 Muslim Youth Fellowship cohort. We had 9 fellows complete the program and we will be showcasing their community projects and celebrating alongside elected officials and leaders from the Muslim community. If you are interested in learning more about the fellowship programs and what this entails please join us!

Filipino Youth Fellowship Application

The Filipino Youth Fellowship applications have launched, with the next cohort starting their journeys in March. The Fellowship will train and hire Filipina/x/o youth as part of a paid internship in Spring/Summer 2022. Fellows will work as part-time Councillor Aides for 12 hours per week over the course of the 12-week placement beginning May 2022. Fellows will be matched based on their skills and interests, and the needs of each participating Member of Council’s Office. Fellows will be assigned Council Offices in the month prior to the placement’s start. Please apply below before the deadline if you're interested in working at City Hall and helping to better shape how our city is governed.

For any questions you may have, please email [email protected]

Deadline: February 21st, 2022 

Black Youth Fellowship

At the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, we have been working to address anti-Black racism, a focus that has been weaved into different types of programming. To continue this effort, we launched the inaugural cohort of the Black Youth Fellowship in 2021, a youth development and internship program that places politically motivated Black youth into the offices of elected representatives at City Hall. This week we introduced the second cohort of the Black Youth Fellowship to their offices where they will be engaging with staff for the next 12 weeks. 

Programs such as the Black Youth Fellowship are necessary to address the lack of representation of Black individuals at City Hall and other levels of government, but to also reduce barriers to employment for Black youth and further advance our goals of creating systems change. This Black History Month, we want to highlight this unique program that has already graduated 10 youth, 1 of whom has secured full-time employment in one of the offices at City Hall post-placement. 

Join us to welcome the latest cohort of the Black Youth Fellowship program and to reflect on and celebrate Black History Month!

 

Register Now!

Equity in Education Project

Project Focus:

The Equity in Education Project is a two-year collaborative project that seeks to address different forms of overt and systemic racism and inequities within the primary and secondary school systems and school boards across the GTA. Currently our community partners, the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians; the Chinese Canadian National Council of Toronto; the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators and the Tamil Canadian Civic Centre for Action are collectively working on addressing ways to combat anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism and Islamophobia through accountability mechanisms; inclusive and diverse curriculum; equitable hiring practices and promotions; and mental health supports.

Achievements:

With community push from CASSA, Muslim faith-based organizations and school board trustee Nokha Dakroub, Peel District School Board passed the motion in September 2021, with respect to ending system wide Islamophobia. The motion which commits to an anti-Islamophobia strategy will actively work on accountability measures and other actionable items.

Please click on the link to access the PDSB Anti-Islamophobia Strategy Development Report
https://www.peelschools.org/trustees/meetings/agendas-minutes/Documents/18.3_Anti-IslamophobiaStrategyDevelopmentReport.pdf

Events:

For those who are interested in the Equity in Education Project, you can join our
Grassroots Organizing and Systems Change: Advancing Racial Justice in the GTA School Boards forum on Wednesday March 30th, 2022 from 6:00pm - 8:30pm via zoom.The forum will consist of the grassroots campaigns and how they are proactively working to make systemic change within the school boards across the GTA.

Register Now!