Latest News | Anti-Racism

We recently facilitated a session around what engaging volunteers looks like in 2024, it occurred to me mid conversation that perhaps there needs to be more of an explicit conversation around what first needs to be dissolved, unlearned, let go of. It is hard to build something new on the foundations of an old existence. It feels impossible with the pace of charitable sector life to take time to consider what needs to be stripped away. This is not a novel take to say there needs to be shift a bit away from doing, always doing to thinking and sitting. Unless people who engage other humans in making their communities thriving places take a good hard look in the mirror about how they’ve been doing what they are doing we will be in the same place in a decade that we are now. We have written previous blogs about how the oldest and long-standing organizations will have the hardest time navigating the shift in volunteerism that is playing out in live time. There seems to be a sense out there of a magical “thing” that will encourage more people to engage with a cause. Perhaps it is less about adding components and shiny recognition items and more about excavating the current opportunities for new growth. Here are maybe some helpful questions to ask when considering deconstructing a volunteer opportunity. 

Why do we meet when we meet? 

Do we need to meet this often?

Could this work be delegated differently? 

How could technology be utilized to help support this work?

Do our current volunteers speak positively about us in the community? 

How would be like to be thought of?

Is there a financial burden to this role?

Is the time commitment a reasonable ask? 

Who is being excluded from doing this role?

How is this role directly connected to helping the community?

If you are an organization based in Calgary, you have an awesome opportunity to work with The Africa Centre as they launch Ujima Fellowship Program. "The Ujima Fellowship is a leadership development program that aims to address structural racism and inequity by creating opportunities for diverse representation within policy-making entities. The purpose of the fellowship is to support young Black leaders between the ages of 18 - 35 who demonstrate a willingness to develop their leadership skills and want to serve within advisory or policy- making entities."

Africa Centre is looking for organizations to host mentors for board placements. If you are interested please contact them here.

If you are a young leader interested in participating in this fellowship opportunity you can find more information here. 

We are very lucky to connect with great people from around North America here are some resources that have shifted perspectives in the past couple months. We are always happy to connect and chat more if you want to process this information in your context. 

Go Smudge Yourself 

What If Natives Stop Subsidizing Canada 

Foundations in Somatic Abolitionism 

How do we help things die

Yesterday was National Indigenous People’s Day and was there every celebration to be had! This is the view I had the privilege of taking in from the home of the Ktunaxa and Secwepemc people, the Akisqnuk First Nation, Shuswap Band the chosen home of the Columbia Valley Metis. What is not captured in this picture if the joy and energy of the day. The beautiful bead work, the awesome talents of the hoop dancers, the delicious smell of NDN tacos and the sounds of laughter. The vibrancy, resiliency and life force that felt very special to be a part of.

Yesterday was also a time of reflection for those of us working on being accomplices. Acknowledging that this work is generational, but it is constant and requires vigilance in all aspects of our lives and work. We are holding these words by Nikki Silvestri close to our hearts as we enter the summer season of growth and respite. 

“Look at the places you withhold the truth. That’s where you contribute to our world staying as it is. That’s the nonlinear nature of how culture shapes socio-economics. If you’re tolerating that person you need to fire; if you’re allowing that toxic relationship dynamic to go unchecked; if you’re procrastinating on a necessary hard decision. 
Complicity in one area of life, in the micro, echoes complicity in the macro. Racism exists because our collective micro complicities snowball into societal complicities.” - Nikki Silvestri (Soil & Shadow).                                                        

Finally, if you have the means to share wealth, please check out The Feast House. 

February is Black History month. Our sector is colonial, influenced by white supremacy and capitalism. Like all sectors that are built on the backbone of these forms of oppression, Black people continue to face extreme forms of discrimination, prejudices, and racism. Many of the people that work in our sector are altruistic, but this is often lost due to the system that continues to be upheld.

It is important to acknowledge this month's focus and the turmoil Black people have experienced and continue to experience. Here are some steps we can take now and throughout the year to support the Black Community: 

Give Your Money

Donate to organizations that directly support Black people. Here is a list of a few to get you started:

• Action Dignity - The B.L.A.C.K Project (Becoming Leaders Acquiring Critical Knowledge)
• Black Environmental Initiative - environmental action for black and equity seeking communities
• Canadian Voices Against Racism - a community of volunteers working to create a living database of police violence in Canada as a means to petition lawmakers to dismantle institutionalized racism, colonialism, and white supremacy within Canada’s governance
• African Friendship Society - our approach is to intentionally combine the caring and nurturing essence of African cultures and traditions with history and social studies through traditional dances, stories, songs and music of Africa.

Spend Your Money at Black Owned Businesses

Check out the link below to find Black owned businesses is your community.

• Canada Black Owned Business & Black Entrepreneurs Directory - Afrobiz

Continue Learning

Learn about Anti-Black Racism, but also learn about Black History and the Influence Black people have on our music, culture, and society. The talent and influence Black people have is often forgotten or ignored.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Attend Black led festivals and cultural events
• Read books, listen to podcasts, and watch movies that are created by Black people
• Listen to the music of Black Artists

Speak Up

Continue to say something when you see racist actions. The oppressive system can’t change over night, but even small steps can make a difference and improve the lives of Black people in our communities.

We are still learning. If you would like to talk to someone on our team about our antiracism journey and what we can do better, please reach out at info@volunteerconnector.org.

Understanding the privilege of having more time

The saying ‘time is money’ has been around for ages. Benjamin Franklin popularized the term in his 18th-century essay “Advice to a Young Tradesmen.” Since then, there has increasingly been a shift in the mindset around time and how to spend it. In general, societal and technological advancements have given us more spare time. The question then becomes: how do we spend it? In the volunteering sector, we can go one step further and consider how one’s spare time compares to others.

Being aware of your privilege

Much of our view on privilege centers around money. Growing up without having to think about money is a privilege. If you grew up without worrying about where your next meal came from, that is a privilege. If you didn’t need to get a job to support your family as soon as you were old enough to work, that is also a privilege. If you can retire and live off a pension, investments, or savings, that is also a privilege. If time is money, we should consider having spare time a privilege.

All the time in the world

How do we gauge this privilege of time? You might get a different answer for every person you ask. But to get a general idea you can look at the American Time Use Study (2022). This study found that 96 percent of people aged 15 and over, spend an average of 5.25 hours a day on leisure activities. This includes things like exercise, watching TV, and socializing. Social media drives a lot of our modern culture. It's no surprise that the Canadians Internet Report (2022) reveals that on average, Canadians spend one hour and fifty-three minutes daily on various social media platforms. The purpose of highlighting these statistics is not to shame anyone — leisure time is important. The purpose is to understand that in general, we have an excess of time for leisure. But that is not true for every person.

Volunteering is a privilege

In 2021, almost one million Canadians held two or more jobs (Statista 2021). The number of single-parent homes in Canada has risen to almost two million (Statista 2022). If you were to survey these families, a common theme you might find would be a lack of time. It's important to understand that when a person volunteers, they do so out of the privilege of having spare time. It is out of this privilege that individuals can give their time to local non-profits, schools their children attend, or religious institutions.

Volunteering with humility and purpose

Too often, volunteering is not only a way of doing good but to be seen as doing good. Volunteering can be a good thing. It can provide invaluable support to communities that lack certain resources, while also providing a sense of purpose or fulfillment to volunteers. What it should not be, is something that elevates your status over others. Specifically, those who do not have the privilege of time to volunteer similar hours, or volunteer at all.

Instead of thinking about how being a volunteer can serve you best, shift your mindset. How could you change your community if you sought out the most practical ways to serve it? How can you champion community initiatives that best support those without the privilege of extra time? Grocery delivery, meal-sharing, and after-school programs are all practical ways of giving people more time. Just something to think about when deciding how and where to serve. And remember — a little awareness and humility go a long way.

Our Heroes and Why Representation Matters

With Halloween fresh in the rear-view mirror, and Wakanda Forever taking over the box office, it feels like an appropriate time to talk about heroes. When I recall the painstaking process of choosing a Halloween costume as a kid, one issue sticks out: I had no clue what I wanted to be. Often I ended up dressing up as a chef (after my dad), a ninja, or a pirate. It was always something generic that could be easily thrown together. Looking back, I realize that a major contributing factor was not feeling that I looked like my favourite characters – Superman, Batman, or those in the Star Wars universe at the time. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has begun to change this in a big way. With Black Panther, Shang Chi, and most recently Wakanda Forever, there now exists superheroes for Black, Chinese, and Mexican kids (and adults) to see themselves reflected in.

What does this have to do with volunteering? When I look back at the lack of representation on the big screen, I also am reminded of real-life heroes. Closer to home, other than my father, whenever there was someone to look up to, there was a lack of people who looked like me. To be clear, it’s not something I could have communicated to anyone at the time. Looking back, I realize that there was a lack of diversity in volunteers at the schools, community events, and churches I attended. When I think about the “role models” like policemen, firemen, or musicians who came to speak at a school assembly, I can’t recall a single person of colour among them. As an adult, I can now see the community around me lacked diversity. But as a child, you are often unable to choose the adults that surround you, and potentially influence you.

This is my experience. And I know I am not alone in this. Representation in volunteerism gives people—especially children—role models they can picture themselves being like. It provides an example of a person they can model themselves after. It gives them a hero—someone they can act like, someone they can dress like, and someone they can serve like. Proper representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) volunteers in communities will increase the likelihood of inspiring people of all ages to serve their communities. Representation in volunteering has the potential to support communities in organic service rather than traditional charitable or philanthropic efforts.

I did not live in communities with large numbers of BIPOC individuals growing up. Organizations must increase representation on every level and in every community because it's not just important for the BIPOC kid to see themselves reflected in a role model, but because it’s also imperative to seek diversity across communities to increase inclusion and social cohesion. It starts at the grassroots with volunteers and ensuring barriers for racialized individuals to participate are meaningfully addressed. Therefore, organizations must increase representation on every level, in every community—not just those with higher BIPOC populations. We must also set out to encourage people of colour to seek out places to serve and provide a positive influence for the next generation. Because in the end, everyone needs heroes.

Strategies for inclusion and empowerment

It’s important to shape and equip volunteer-driven organizations and campaigns to serve diverse communities. To do this, organizations must commit to concrete actions that address structural and systemic racism and a lack of representation among volunteers. Dismantling racism takes more than words, thoughts, and prayers. True transformation in volunteering requires a commitment to address the structural and systemic barriers perpetuated by racism.

Data on diversity and racialized communities

Data and research, or the absence of it, are often cited as reasons not to act. There is a glaring need for more data surrounding racialized communities. The deliberate lack of data collection, or the weaponization of data (Milner & Traub 2021), have been tools for perpetuating racism in racialized communities. As Mutamba and Rock (2022) note, “A larger and disaggregated data set will give us better insight into the experiences of racism and colonization in the volunteer sector.” While there is a great deal of learning ahead regarding the challenges and barriers faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), we must forge ahead, and use the information we have available to take steps toward anti-racism today.

Diversity and representation as a starting point

A simple way to begin is by researching the demographics of the communities you serve. You can then take steps to mirror them in your organization's diversity. Information on diversity within communities is available from the Government of Canada (2022). Take time to investigate and understand the immediate needs in those communities. Different municipalities like the City of Calgary (2022) have outlined community needs and made this information publicly available. Develop an understanding of how the needs of a community and the demographics of racialized individuals within that community are often correlated. This will provide a framework to understand whom you are serving, ways in which you can ensure their voices are heard, and how best to serve the needs of a community.

Four keys to adopting an anti-racist approach to volunteering

Education and implementation are important when developing an anti-racist approach to volunteering. The journey towards anti-racism is a cultural shift. This requires an understanding of what equity, diversity, and inclusion mean. It is important to acknowledge how each individual may contribute to racism and how our systems and structures perpetuate racism and inequality. This will inform you how to change your organization's approach to volunteering. Here are four keys you can focus on to start on the right path.

Move away from a colourblind approach

Historically, to promote equality, harmful and reductive “colourblind” practices were developed around the inclusion of racialized individuals.  “Not seeing colour” has the opposite effect regarding inclusion. It fails to acknowledge the individual by not understanding their unique and intersecting identities, experiences, or trauma. Further, “[diversity and inclusion] is more complex than just numbers. Simply adding more ‘colour’, does not create inclusive cultures in which BIPOC people can be authentic and thrive” (Roche & Passmore 2022). To empower any volunteer, regardless of race, it’s important to shift from a colourblind approach and acknowledge the unique identities of every individual.

Research intercultural definitions of volunteering

The more you develop an intercultural understanding of what volunteering means, the more you can have an impact in serving diverse communities. In his book Perspectives on Volunteering, Mario Roitters outlines the importance of understanding how different cultures perceive what it means to volunteer. An excerpt from the chapter on volunteerism in Latin cultures sheds light on the cultural differences that exist surrounding volunteering, “In Latin America, the problem lies in the fact that a certain number of these types of actions performed are considered merely good manners. Such actions rarely evoke the notion of volunteerism, as they do in the context of developed countries. Therefore, a voluntary act differs from one cultural context to another.” (M. Roitters 2017). Understanding these cultural differences will set your organization up for success in recruiting and retaining diverse volunteers.

Understand the barriers encountered by BIPOC volunteers

It's important to understand your volunteers' cultural and racial identities, the situations they are stepping into, and the communities they are trying to serve. This will allow you to navigate the risks of harmful and triggering situations. As Mutamba and Rock (2022) observe, “People across racial identities experience barriers to volunteering. BIPOC participants reported facing more barriers across every single category. There is not a single step in the volunteer screening practice that does not impose significant barriers for BIPOC participants.” In their study, Mutamba and Rock list several barriers, including police checks, access to first aid training, and owning a personal vehicle. Studies have shown that race and poverty often intersect to prevent social integration[NA1]  (Lin and Harris 2009). When we talk about seeing colour and understanding racial trauma, it is important to consider how your organization can help address these obstacles or explore alternatives that acknowledge the barriers racialized volunteers often face.

Develop anti-racist volunteer strategies through collaboration

Partner with BIPOC individuals within your organization. Empower them by inviting them to lead the change, yet be mindful of how it may contribute to their overall responsibilities and workload. Respect the choice of racialized individuals to abstain from driving this work. Offer education on topics surrounding racism, making sure to create a safe space for discussion. “The cornerstone for a productive and respectful conversation on racism or other related issues is centered on ensuring the psychological safety of everyone who is part of the conversation.” (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion 2020). Awareness is grown through workshops, guest speakers, and BIPOC-written educational material.

Find local BIPOC-led organizations and learn from them, ensuring fair compensation. If your goal is to understand racialized communities and adopt strategies to better partner with and serve them, try to engage organizations already doing this work. Racialized individuals have been serving their communities for a long time. Partner with them, learn from them, and support the work they are already doing.

Set yourself up for success

The more you understand the complexities of racial identity and trauma in light of structural and systemic racism, the more you can equip your organization to take an anti-racist approach in volunteering. The success of any organization striving to take an anti-racist approach in volunteering will depend on how well it educates those in the organization, seeks out representation, and empowers BIPOC individuals to help drive change.

It is back to school week through much of the country, the bells are ringing and the classes are beginning. September can feel more like a fresh start that the turning over of the calendar to a new year. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling off, we are all pulling out our cardigans and anticipating Taylor Swift's new album. The other thing we are all still doing over here at VolunteerConnector is still learning, still trying, still working away at decolonizing volunteerism. Here are two things that have got us thinking, reflecting, changing and talking this week:

Martha Cecilia Ovadia shares her brilliance on a grief we in the charitable sector do not speak enough about in her blog 'Phantom Impact Syndrome' and also reminds us to say the things we are sitting with even if we do not think it is fully ready. 

Mutale Nkonde and Sareeta Amrute join Jessie Daniels to discuss her book Nice White Ladies: The Truth about White Supremacy, Our Role in It and How We Can Help Dismantle It. Systems that do seem​ universally beneficial (like the 911 Emergency Call System) can also have roots in racism and white supremacy. 

If you have something we should read or listen to, let us know! 

What are the barriers you experience when setting out on your volunteer journey? Well we asked volunteers and we got a surprising and not so surprising response:

"There is not a single step in the volunteer screening practice that does not impose significant barriers for BIPOC participants. The biggest barrier for BIPOC participants was personal references. There are many possible reasons for this, but it does highlight the white western influence of volunteering towards a capitalist and institutional HR experience."

Read more in An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering