October 27 update on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID)
Here is a brief update on the five-point Action Plan we announced earlier this year:
- "Igniting Change": We are taking action on “Igniting Change,” the independent report prepared by the Congress Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (AC-EDID). Since publicly endorsing the report this spring, we have begun to follow up on all 43 of the Committee’s final recommendations.
- Building on the advocacy of the Black Canadian Studies Association (BCSA), we are:
- eliminating Congress 2022 registration fees for students and community members who identify as Black and/or Indigenous;
- preparing to host a future, in-person Congress with a theme centred on Black Canadian studies in Canada, anti-Black racism, and colonialism; and
- reducing the burden on conference organizers by increasing logistical and administrative support and streamlining the Congress planning process.
- Investing in long-term change: We are putting the necessary people, structures and resources in place to achieve deep and lasting change. To date, we have:
- Announced a new three-year $500,000 EDID fund, which will make new funding available for association-led initiatives beginning in 2022.
- Established a new Standing Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization, and appointed the Committee’s new chair and members, who held their first meeting in October 2021.
- Created a new staff position of Senior Advisor, EDID. After conducting an extensive, nationwide recruitment process over the past three months, we will be selecting the successful candidate in the next few weeks.
- Created new opportunities for our community to engage in dialogue with the Federation and other members of the HSS community, with plans to launch a new series of Member Forums in November.
- Committed to accountability and transparency in our EDID work, and begun development of a detailed implementation plan and evaluation framework, with regular progress reports from the Federation’s Board of Directors to all scholarly associations and institutions.
- We are listening to our members and supporting their ideas, including requests that we dedicate space at the Congress Expo for Black-owned bookstores and the works of Black scholars, and develop sessions themed on anti-Black racism, in consultation with Black Canadian scholars.
- We have officially adopted the Charter on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization in the Social Sciences and Humanities, and we are encouraging scholarly associations, universities, and individuals in the social sciences and humanities to read, discuss, support, and promote it.
For all information regarding our ongoing work on EDID, visit our EDI and decolonization page.