On Friday, March 19, the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network’s Surrey-White Rock Spoke (led by MOSAIC) will host a free, virtual community event to mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The forum will include special guests Rachna Singh, BC’s first Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, and Dr. Moussa Magassa, an anti-racism and human rights education specialist. Parliamentary Secretary Singh will discuss her new role, mandate and vision, followed by an interactive presentation and workshop on systemic racism by Dr. Magassa.

“It’s more important than ever to address this topic, with COVID-19 further showing many of the ways that racism shows up in our communities,” said Nova Chamberlin, Manager of Specialized & Innovative Programs at MOSAIC.

The Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network was formed by the provincial government in 2020 following broad community consultation, and replaces the previous Organizing Against Racism and Hate (OARH) Network, for which MOSAIC served as the lead in Surrey.

The Resilience BC Network delivers coordinated services through a “Hub and Spoke” model. The centralized “Hub” managed by the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society anchors the program and provides oversight. MOSAIC serves as the Spoke for Surrey/White Rock, and the Anti-Racism Forum will be the first major event.

“We hope participants take away from it a renewed sense of commitment and shared responsibility for coming together to address racism in all its forms,” said Chamberlin.

This event will be an important opportunity to discuss the ways in which racism can be addressed in our communities and how safer and more equitable spaces can be created. To register for this virtual event, get your free ticket here.