B.C. redesigns funding program that targets racism and hate
Credit to Author: Rob Shaw| Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 23:20:52 +0000
VICTORIA — The B.C. government is redesigning the programs it uses to fight racism and intolerance, unveiling a new structure on Wednesday.
Premier John Horgan said the former Organizing Against Racism and Hate funding program has been redesigned into the new Resilience B.C. Anti-Racism Network.
The government will spend $540,000 annually offering grants and funding to communities and groups committed to cultural diversity and multiculturalism. The funding will also be used to respond to and prevent incidents of racism and hate.
The province will identify a central service provider for the program in the coming months, and estimates up to 40 local service providers will be linked into the network and funding.
“Resilience B.C. will be the beginning of increasing capacity in comms so they can do the work they need to do with the blessing and resources we can give them from the province,” said Horgan.
“Resilience B.C. Nice tag line, but it has got to be about people, it has got to be about communities.”
NDP MLA Ravi Kahlon, who served as parliamentary secretary on multiculturalism until a recent move to forestry, said the program will build upon a recent multiculturalism report he issued, as well as the restoration of the B.C. Human Rights Commission.