Recreation Nova Scotia took a bold step towards championing equity by developing an Anti-Racism Charter in Recreation in 2022. This ground-breaking initiative aimed to address racism within Nova Scotia's recreation landscape and create a more understanding and welcoming environment for all citizens.
There has been an escalation of racist and discriminatory behaviour in the recreation sector, locally and nationally. The impacts of these incidents on the psychological health and well-being of those affected are serious and are made worse by the lack of support available. In response to this, Recreation Nova Scotia (RNS), with funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, worked with Wisdom2Action (W2A) to develop the Anti-Racism Charter. The Charter will provide unifying guidelines for the recreation sector to address and combat systemic racism within the sector.
Project Objectives
- Confront racism within the recreation sector
- Foster equitable treatment and opportunities for all accessing recreation
- Promote and lead conversations around diversity, equity, racism and religious discrimination on provincial, national and international levels
- Contribute further research and evidence that highlights the disparities and issues faced by members of marginalized communities in recreation
Steering Committee & Youth Advisory Council
The development of the Anti-Racism Charter was informed largely through stakeholder engagement and a six-person Steering Committee composed of recreation sector leaders. A four-person Youth Advisory Council comprised of youth with lived experience also informed the Charter elements and related activities.
Steering Committee
- Colleen Belle
- Crystal Watson
- Fawn Logan-Young
- Heather MacNeil
- Joshua Nicholas
- Nick Lenehan
Youth Advisory Council
- Ali Koperqualuk
- Fawn Logan-Young
- Nick Williams
- Vanessa Hartley
Stakeholder Engagement
- A survey to understand how racism and discrimination exist and are experienced across the sector, what assets exist to address racism and discrimination, and what an Anti-Racism Charter should include.
- Focus Groups to expand on the issues raised and feedback provided by survey respondents.
- Town Halls will be held for those who have not participated in earlier consultation activities to contribute to the project and its intended outcomes.
- Training that focuses on addressing key themes shared via the survey and focus groups.
- Meetings with policymakers to share the stakeholder consultation process, seek input on the Charter’s development and provide guidance on ways to enhance its adoption throughout the province.
- Interviews to engage relevant stakeholders who could not participate in the consultation process.
Timeline
- The stakeholder engagement process took place from March 2022 to July 2022.
- Data collected from stakeholder engagement was analyzed with the help of the Steering Committee and Youth Advisory Council members. This information will be used to draft the Charter.
- A draft Charter was shared with stakeholders and interested parties throughout August 2022.
- The Anti-Racism Charter, along with project findings, was shared at the launch Summit hosted on October 19, 2022. The summit focused on the Charter's applications and encouraged its adoption among stakeholders.
- The final copy of the Anti-Racism Charter was publicly shared after launching.
For more information about the project, contact
