Burning questions relating to anti-racism and decolonization in community practice
Over the last two Anti-Racism and Decolonization Learning and Action Team monthly gatherings, we’ve asked attendees to share their current burning questions relating to anti-racism and decolonization in their own community practice.
These questions reflect where we’re each at in our own anti-racism and decolonization efforts right now, and will be explored further in our upcoming gatherings.
How can I help other people view Canada Day from a different standpoint, one that isn’t celebrating the settler state?
How do we help others and each other hold space for moving towards anti-racism and decolonization simultaneously?
How do we hold space for learning and action when people are in very different places on their learning journey places, so that we can have some deeper learning and action?
What would it look like and mean to compensate people who we witness experiencing micro-aggressions as a form of community care?
What does land back mean to people, and how is it being understood by different groups?
How to manage unspoken micro-aggressions, the things that are unspoken in an organization or community group? How to have the conversations that are at the edge? How to create the spaces to have a more fulsome conversation?
How can we more effectively engage with community members in recognition that community members may be experiencing their own barriers with regards to expressing their opinions and sharing their own thoughts… How do we create the conditions for people to safely share about their experiences and share their own thoughts?
“What does an Anti-Racist Moh’kinstsis/Calgary look like?” (from a Cultural Instigators learning opportunity)
What does an Anti-Racist organization look like?
How do we embed decolonization in community governance systems, noting that legal requirements are extremely colonial. What are the tools, mechanisms that can be used to bring in other forms of decision-making that move towards decolonization within these colonial structures?
How do we help people to understand what decolonization really is, and to move beyond performative actions and words? We need to learn and unlearn and re-learn how we think about things and how we do things.
How do we create new benchmarks for what belonging can actually look like?
How do we combat misinformation? How do we care for communities being harmed by misinformation?
What does accountability look like when we hurt others?
A huge thank you for those who participated and shared your areas of curiosity with us! You can share your burning questions here.
If you would like to join the Anti-Racism and Decolonization Learning and Action Team, let us know. Our upcoming gathering dates include:
Monday, August 22 from 12:00 to 1:30
Monday, September 19 from 12:00 to 1:30
Monday, October 17 from 12:00 to 1:30
Monday, November 21 from 12:00 to 1:30