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ALBERTA RESPONSE MODEL
About the Partnership
The Response Model for Hate Incidents in Alberta is an initiative led by the Alberta Coalitions Creating Equity (CCE) with support provided by the Alberta Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund. The five municipalities of the CCE (Wood Buffalo, Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, and Lethbridge) and their surrounding areas worked together to develop a mechanism to provide service providers with tools and guidelines to effectively respond to incidents of hate. This model was informed by a provincial-wide survey and various regional focus groups and community engagements. To know more about the findings and elements of responsiveness incorporated in this response model, please visit:
Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge that the community consultations and work to develop this protocol was conducted in Treaty 6,7,8 Territory, the traditional meeting grounds and gathering places of the Blackfoot confederacy -compromising the Suksika, Pikani, and Kanai First Nations), and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nation, Nakota Sikoux, Iroquois, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, Cree, Dene, Tsuut’ina, Niitsitapi, and Métis peoples.
The Coalitions Creating Equity recognizes the responsibility we have as Albertans to learn the history of these lands for us to understand the present and actively work to dismantle the barriers imposed by historical and ongoing colonialism. We also recognize the struggles and resiliency of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, embrace their teachings and wisdom as invaluable components of the beauty and strength of our province.
This protocol was made possible through the funding from the Alberta Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund and is the product of the collaborative efforts of many community members and organizations.
This Response Model was developed by the Coalitions Creating Equity coordinators: Helen Rusich, Krystell O’Hara, Tyra Erskine, Victor Iyilode, and the invaluable input of Deborah Dobbins, Caitlin Downie, Cam Stewart, Lisa Kardosh, Tinna Ezekiel, and Zenobia Jamal.
On behalf of the Coalitions Creating Equity (CCE), we would like to express our deepest gratitude to every focus group participant and community organization that participated in the process of developing a community response model. This would not have been possible without your help.
Thanks to the information and data collected throughout this process CCE has developed a survivor informed toolkit that we hope will be utilized by local communities across the province. We hope to see this resource built upon by individual communities as we work towards living a world that is free of hate, and enables people to thrive regardless of their intersectionalities.
The organizations and individuals that provided input through emails, consultations, mental health support for focus groups participants, partnerships for community consultation, and those that accepted the great responsibility to be a support agency are listed below:
Aileen Burke
5th on 5th Youth
ABSI Connect
Alberta Human Rights Commission
Action Dignity
Africa Centre
Alberta Hate Crimes Committee
Alberta Social Innovation Connect
Catholic Social Services
Collaboration for Religious Inclusion (CRI)
CISM for Communities Fort McMurray
City of Edmonton
Creating Hope Society
Edmonton Shift Lab
Edmonton Police Service
End Poverty Edmonton
Edmonton Public School Board
Erin Reid
John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights
Mental Health Association Wood Buffalo
Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo
Neurodiversity YMM
Pride YMM
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
RCMP Wood Buffalo
REACH Edmonton
Resiliency Project
Shiloh Centre for Multicultural Roots
Spinal Cord Injury
St. Aidan Society
Voices with Disabilities
What is a hate incident?
A noncriminal act motivated in whole or in part by prejudice, bias or hate towards a specific person, or identifiable group of persons due to their real or perceived race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or on any other similar factor.
In other words, a hate incident is when someone does something mean and hurtful because they have a negative feeling or opinion about a person or group of persons due to their real or perceived identity characteristics.
What is a hate crime?
A criminal offence motivated in whole or in part by prejudice, bias or hate towards a specific person, identifiable group of persons or property due to their real or perceived race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression, or on any other similar factor.
In other words, a criminal act that can involve intimidation, harassment, physical force, threat, or vandalism, and that its motive is hostility towards a person or group or persons due to their real or perceived identity characteristics.
Why we should report and look for support
Hate crimes and hate incidents are highly underreported, and although every person has very valid reasons not to do it, the lack of reporting is contributing to the problem. The key reasons that it is important to report a hate incident or crime are:
Data Tracking
It is important to know the number of hate incidents and crimes. This data can articulate the necessity to increase resources, funding, and support and where these are most needed.
This data can also show which groups experience hate most often and measures can be taken to educate and protect these groups.
Evidence Building
Reports of hate incidents can be used to show a pattern of behaviour when someone is charged with a hate crime and has had prior hate incidents reported against them.
Even when you don’t want follow up or if you want to stay anonymous you can report the incident at stophateab.ca
Education
Empowerment
Opportunity to Heal
Krystell O'Hara
Wood Buffalo Regional Coordinator
krystellohara@gmail.com
Helen Rusich
Edmonton Regional Coordinator
helen.rusich@reachedmonton.ca
Andrea Lacoursiere
Red Deer Regional Coordinator
andrea.lacoursiere@reddeer.ca
Tyra Erskine
Calgary Regional Coordinator
tyra.erskine@actiondignity.org
Victor Iyilade
Lethbridge Regional Coordinator
equity@youth.ab.ca