Category: Uncategorized

Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change Project Coordinator: Breaking Down Barriers by Racialized Communities

Contract: 14 month Full-time position from February 2022 – March 31, 2023 (based on 35 hours a week, flexible weekly hours, including some weeknights and weekends)

Pay Rate: $50,000 per annum

Start date: February, 2022

Project Description

The Project is “Breaking Down Barriers by Racialized Communities Through Building Community Research and Knowledge Capacity”, and is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Develop and deliver a project to:

a. Collect evidence and data for change– Work with Community Organizers and Researchers in Toronto, Durham Region, Peel Region, York Region, Ottawa, Hamilton, Windsor and Thunder Bay to conduct community based research looking at barriers to employment and social participation by racialized communities.

b. Build community capacity– Work with Community Organizations to increase their capacity to tackle systemic barriers to employment and social participation.

c. Organize a knowledge sharing conference to look beyond problems and identify solutions to break down barriers through collaboration across communities as well as with the public and private sectors.

Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change

Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change (COP-COC) is a network of 14 organizations and individuals across Ontario working to build concrete strategies, tools, initiatives and community-based capacity. Through this approach, individuals, groups, and organizations (especially those reflective of the affected racialized communities – both Indigenous Peoples and peoples of colour) can begin to develop coherent shared action plans and effective coordinated strategies for collaborating with mainstream policy analysts and institutions, anti-poverty and social justice advocacy groups, governments, funders, and the media. Through this collaborative, we work together to address and redress the disturbing and growing structural and systemic ethno-racial inequities.

Job Requirements

• Using an equitable anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-oppressive framework, work with the Project Advisory to deliver all project activities and tasks to completion on time.
• Work with approved budgets and provide financial accounts on a regular basis.
• In coordination with the Project Advisory conduct all research, communication, promotion, reporting and logistics for the project.
• Engage with community organizations and community members to build and maintain partnerships and positive working relationships for the project, and with subject matter experts relevant to the project.
• In coordination with the Project Advisory outreach and recruit participants and volunteers for various aspects of the project.

Key Qualifications

• Experience working with community members and community organizations and groups to address issues faced by racialized communities.
• Sound understanding and experience working within an equitable anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-oppressive framework.
• Demonstrated project management and implementation skills, including planning, logistics, narrative and financial reporting, communication, recruiting and working with partners, and meeting project deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience in community-based or community-centered, participatory action social sciences research is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience with developing web based and social media content, and social media promotion across various platforms is an asset.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the Truth & Reconciliation 94 Calls to Action, the 231 Calls for Justice of the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – as well as other racial justice relevant international and domestic human rights instruments and mechanisms.

Remote work is possible while COVID-19 related public health advisories are in place. The successful candidate must be willing to travel – on occasion and if necessary, and subject to health advisories – to the Ontario communities named in the project description above. Please note that the COP-COC office has a mandatory vaccination policy.

Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change is committed to employment equity. While voluntary, we encourage you to indicate in your application if you are an Indigenous person, person of colour; your gender identity; sexuality or sexual orientation; or if you are a person living with a (dis)ability.

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter stating why you are interested in the position through this link https://secure.collage.co/jobs/cassa/27240

Deadline for application – January 28, 2022 at 5pm

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone inquiries please.

Apply Now

Toronto/June 2, 2021

Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change (COP-COC) mourns the 215 children found buried in unmarked burial sites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. We are heartsick at the intense loss to the families, communities, Indigenous Peoples and the country.

We mourn the thousands of Indigenous children who never came home, who were lost to the Indian Residential School System. We are in solidarity with the Tk ̓ emlúps te Secwépemc, Indian Residential School survivors and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in their grief as they process this recent discovery, while continuing to face trauma and loss from the genocidal legacy of the Residential School system.

The recent discovery was horrifying, but not a surprise. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimated as many as 6,000 children went missing from the more than 130 residential schools. We hold the Government of Canada accountable for its failure to redress the wrongs committed in the residential schools system, to end the ongoing human rights violations against Indigenous Peoples, and to end ongoing colonization.

We call on the Governments of Canada, Ontario and all municipalities to fully implement the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the 231 Calls For Justice of the National Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. As settlers on this land, and as a group that was formed to work for racial equality and racial justice, we of Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change commit ourselves to achieve Truth and Reconciliation in ways that best respect and honour Indigenous Peoples, as we advance racial justice for all peoples.

Anti‐Racism and Anti‐Hate Grant program – $1.6 million over 2 years to address systemic racism – by supporting community based anti‐racism initiatives focusing on anti‐Black racism, anti‐Indigenous racism, anti‐Semitism and Islamophobia – no mention of anti-Asian racism !?

$4 million to provide culturally responsive support to First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations. In recognizing COVID‐19 has disproportionately impacted racially diverse, newcomer and low‐income communities – $50 million to support targeted and tailored community outreach and education using Community Ambassadors, mobile testing sites, distribution of PPE kits, case management support to connect individuals to critical services and to safely self‐isolate. In addition.

To ‘defeat’ COVID-19 – $1 billion for vaccination rollout ( $50 million targeted for rural and urban Indigenous people ); $2.3 billion for testing and contact tracing in 2021 and 2022; $1.8 billion to provide care for COVID-19 patients and tackle surgical backlogs; $50-million boost for last years program for manufacturers of personal protective equipment and other supplies; hospitals getting $1.8 billion to help ease pandemic-related pressures; $1 billion to support municipalities with COVID-19 expenses; $50 million for cultural organizations and faith-based groups for costs associated with COVID-19; $3.7million to help remove barriers and provide safe, accessible transportation for persons with disabilities and older adults with limited mobility to travel to their COVID‐19 vaccination appointments – no mention of funded capacity for disaggregated data collection ?

Housing – $255 million for municipal service managers and Indigenous program partners to respond to rising COVID‐19 cases in shelter settings; $18.5 million over 3 years for the Transitional Housing Support Program to support victims of domestic violence and survivors of human trafficking; $13 million over 3 years to assist people with developmental disabilities in accessing community housing and to expand the Adult Protective Service Worker program to support them to live independently.

Long Term Care – $2.3 billion over four years to expand the system ( replaces $1.75 billion previously announced ) – for 20,161 ( ?? ) new beds for both “for-profit” and public facilities; $4.9 billion over four years for previously announced average of 4 hours of direct care per resident each day

Mental Health – $175 million for mental health and addictions support programs.

Policing – $8.4 million over three years to fund a crisis call diversion program within OPP to help divert calls to mental health services ( while investing $12.5 million over 3 years to enhance mental health services available to OPP staff !? )

Tribunals Ontario – $28.5 million over 4 years for new case management system – to modernize client interactions, provide comprehensive online dispute resolution services, enhance ability to monitor cases online and receive/submit documents electronically – no mention of access to justice or disaggregated data collection !?

Capital Plan – investments in transit, highways, schools, hospitals, broadband – additional $16.9 billion in 2021–22 – fundamental to made‐in‐Ontario growth, recovery, long‐term prosperity – no mention of employment equity related conditions or obligations attached with respect to all the many jobs that are being created !?

Families – Child Benefit doubled – a one-time payment of $400 per child and $500 per child with special needs; expanded Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses tax credit ( CARE ) by 20% for one year – which increases support from $1,250 to $1,500 on average; $2.1 million over 3 years to assist survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking; $18.2 million over 3 years to help address violence against First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls; a new $30 million for a Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit for 2021.

Children & Youth with Special Needs – $240 million over 4 years for more service capacity in early intervention and rehabilitation and Preschool Speech and Language Program services; $4.5 million over 3 years to support the Abilities Centre in Whitby to connect youth and adults with disabilities to employment opportunities.

Small business support – $1.7 billion for businesses that received the Small Business Support Grant can get a second payment – $10,000 to $20,000 – no need to re-apply; new $100 million Tourism & Hospitality Small Business Support Grant program for hard-hit businesses – one-time payments between $10,000 and $20,000; new Ontario Tourism Recovery Program – also $100 million – to help “historically successful businesses”get back on their feet; $150 million for a tax credit to encourage Ontarians to explore their home province once it’s safe to travel.

Job Training – Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit – up to $2,000 – for Ontario residents between 26 and 65; $85.0 million for the Skills Development Fund; $117.3 million to assist job seeking women, racialized individuals, Indigenous peoples, youth and people with disabilities; $157.2

million for workers in the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic – ie. hospitality and tourism sectors – to provide career counselling and urgent training; $60.8 million to upgrade and expand high‐speed internet and other digital infrastructure for community organizations, colleges and other employment training service providers; $194 million for employment and training programs and services that are responsive to the province’s economic recovery; $2 million for the development of a “virtual skills passport” that tracks learners’ credentials; $288.2 million for the Skilled Trades Strategy; and establish an Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee – representation !?

Long-Term Recovery Plan – $6 million annually for the Indigenous Community Capital Grants Program to address long‐term infrastructure needs and fast‐track shovel‐ready on and off‐reserve projects; $1million for enhancements to the Ontario Made program; $5 million over 2 years for the new Ontario Junior ( Mineral ) Exploration Program; $50 million over 2 years for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to support investments in infrastructure, culture, economic development and training; form a task force to address economic barriers faced by women; $56.4 million over 4 years to create a new Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network to accelerate the development of next generation electric, connected and autonomous vehicles and lower environmental and carbon footprint mobile technologies – doesn’t include Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, persons living with (dis)abilities, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals !?

Broadband Access – additional $2.8 billion to bring broadband to more people by 2025.