The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) is pleased to announce the creation of the Race Inclusion & Supportive Environments (RISE) working group at York. Comprised of staff, students and faculty, RISE aims to foster an inclusive environment with the purpose of working towards eliminating racism and leveraging diversity on York’s campuses. For more information on York University’s policy on racism, visit this link.
Recognizing the intersection of race with other personal identities which fall under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including age, creed (religion), disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation, the working group aims to create mechanisms for support and to advocate for proactive institutional practices to remove barriers and increase access for York’s racialized members.
The RISE committee serves as an institutional advocate to advance respect, equity, diversity and inclusion, with a specific focus on eliminating systemic and individual experiences of racism. The objectives of the committee include:
- supporting employee retention efforts by the University, particularly those that seek to value differences;
- increasing access to resources for all employee groups;
- expanding education services on topics related to race and racism for York’s faculty, staff and students; and
- developing programs which embed equitable practices, leading to the elimination of individual and systemic barriers.
As part of RISE’s committee structure, there are three subcommittees: students, staff and faculty. These subcommittees allow for greater participation in a range of initiatives that highlight race-related issues on York’s campuses. Each subcommittee is focused on building objectives that support the overall initiatives of the RISE committee, which include:
- Community Engagement
- Equitable Employment
- Institutional Advocacy
- Indigenous Matters
- Resources Development
The RISE working group is committed to responding to the identified inequities and disparities consistent with provincial public policy and the mandate of the Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD). More information on the ARD can be viewed at ontario.ca/page/anti-racism-directorate.
For more information about the RISE working group and additional resources, email rise@yorku.ca or visit rights.info.yorku.ca/rise.