Creating Just Futures Initiative - 2024
A community response?
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right. ”
It takes a community to create meaningful change, as we look forward to 2024, CDLI will be organizing an opportunity for the network to engage around themes of equity, anti-racism and decolonization. Since 2020, CDLI has been facilitating conversations on issues of anti-racism and decolonization and have gathered monthly Learning & Action Teams to hold meaningful conversations, challenge and support participants on their learning journey, since we know equity is an ongoing commitment.
Creating Just Futures (CJF) Initiative
We believe that Calgary's communities can be more just and equitable. If we can foster deep collaboration and offer meaningful learning and accountability spaces, then individuals and organizations will be better equipped to have the necessary conversations and create the necessary changes within their own communities. CJG initiative has two distinct but connected audiences: community-serving organizations who are actively seeking to support anti-racism and decolonization learning and actions in communities and grassroots community members who are seeking to address racism and colonization in their specific community contexts
The Just For Futures Initiative has three area of work and action!
Storytelling for change
to foster continuous learning, share resources, and promote the project.
Tell 30 stories of anti-racism and decolonization in action in Calgary's communities, from both the individual and community organization's perspectives
Host one community conversation to share stories and identify learnings and actions
Document the various components of the project, and learnings of partners and participants along the way, through reflection posts shared online (website, social media, newsletters)
Convening and Sustaining community organizations
to foster learning, connections, and collaboration.
creation of and facilitation of a systems map centred around anti-racism and decolonization
shared learning based on existing experiences, and to seek areas of alignment within wider
systems change efforts
Ten targeted gatherings to go deeper on emerging topics and/or collaborative efforts
Create systems map of existing Calgary-based resources, initiatives, and actors at the intersection ofcommunity & anti-racism and decolonization
Anti-racism learning & accountability for communities
to increase the capacity of individuals taking action against racism and towards decolonization in their communities.
Design open sourced Anti-Racism & Decolonization Action Lab curriculum drawing on existing materials made by community organizations, new materials
Produce a selection of community-based workshops
Learners will:
Improve their competency and confidence in addressing racism in their communities;
Increase their ability to identify ways in which systemic racism is impacting their communities;
Take meaningful actions towards anti-racism and decolonization in their communities