INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
You Belong Here. Racism Doesn’t: A promise we must keep!
Racial discrimination not only hinders progress for many people around the world, it also causes other harm − from denying individuals basic equality and rights, to inciting hatred that can escalate into violence.
In proclaiming March 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the United Nations calls on the international community to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
Over the past decade, the University of Regina has committed significant time and energy to creating a more inclusive community for all faculty, staff, and students through public discourse and programs that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion on its campuses.
As part of its efforts to create a more welcoming environment, in March 2019 the University launched one of its key anti-discrimination initiatives, You Belong Here. Racism Doesn’t, an awareness campaign and speaker series that reinforces the institution’s commitment to be a welcoming place, where behaviours such as bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated or accepted.
Speaking about the University’s anti-discrimination programs, President and Vice-chancellor Dr. Vianne Timmons says, “As a university the size of a small city, we value diversity in our community and believe that all students have the right to study and live in an environment that is inclusive and supportive.”
The third event in the You Belong Here speaker series on February 13 featured Hadiya Roderique, a Toronto-based African-canadian lawyer and award-winning writer known for her Globe and Mail article, “Black on Bay Street,” which served as a wake-up call to corporate Canada to embrace more diversity in the workplace. Hadiya delivered a thought-provoking presentation on the barriers to diversity and inclusion, emphasizing recent research that shows how a diverse workplace is a more creative and innovative workplace.
One of the University of Regina staff members in the audience that night, Chidi Igwe, describes You Belong Here as a promise that the University must keep, and he is encouraged by its progress so far.
In 2003, Igwe was a Master’s degree candidate at the University. He became a faculty member in 2007 and taught until 2015 when he left to work for the Government of Saskatchewan.
“I left the University because I didn’t feel like I belonged here. Nobody told me I belonged here at that time and everything I saw on the job, the way people sometimes asked me where I came from ‘originally’ and when I intended to return there, and many other indicators gave me the impression that I didn’t really belong here,” says Igwe.
“But when I returned to work at the University late in 2019, my supervisor welcomed me and gave me a gray shirt with a bold message on the front: ‘You Belong Here, Racism Doesn’t.’ That almost melted my heart. It was a powerful message that left a powerful impression,” says Igwe.
Reflecting on how he feels now, he says, “Today, I am impressed with the change I am seeing. We know that there is a lot of work to be done as the University transforms itself into a more welcoming community where everyone can have a full sense of belonging, but we must recognize the work that is being done, especially the genuine and honest openness to engage in public discussions of these issues.”
The University of Regina is an increasingly diverse institution with more than 16,500 students, including more than 13 per cent self-declared Indigenous learners and almost 20 per cent international students. It has more than 3,000 faculty and staff, including 11 per cent who identify as visible minorities.
Since 2014, the number of students registered with accommodations through the Centre for Student Accessibility has approximately doubled, and many others are accessing other support services, such as those available through the UR Pride office.
In 2019, the University launched an enhanced UR Respect online training program and renewed its commitment to reconciliation and the 94 Calls to Action. The University also approved a policy of Respectful Engagement with Elders, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, and/or Old Ones, designed to guide its engagement with Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems.
“As our student, faculty and staff population diversifies, so does the need to educate, encourage, and equip our campuses to embrace diversity. The University is working hard to create a more welcoming, accommodating and respectful place, where everyone is viewed and treated with respect regardless of their nationality, culture, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, race, colour, age, or sexual orientation,” Dr. Timmons says.