Show your support for diversity with the #ItStartsWithMe campaign
Communities across Canada are at risk of social fragmentation and instability resulting from acts of discrimination towards individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, national origin or other social identities. To counter this and to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21), AUMA’s Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Initiative challenges municipalities to join the #ItStartsWithMe social media campaign.
The campaign is led by the Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (CCUNESCO), which is the leading organization for the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CCMARD). The #ItStartsWithMe campaign encourages municipal leaders and all Canadians to start a conversation and learn from each other about the value of diversity and inclusion. To participate:
- Meet someone whose culture is different from yours.
- Share a video or photo of the encounter on social media with a story or caption about what you learned from them. It could be a place, a song, an art piece, a story, a book, an interesting fact, a tradition, etc.
- Invite others to take on the challenge.
Posts are encouraged to be shared from March 18 to 21 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, either tagging @CCUNESCO or using the hashtag #ItStartsWithMe. For inspiration and examples of posts you can make, please click here.
To learn more about how to help eliminate social exclusion, visit AUMA’s Welcoming and Inclusive Communities website or wic [at] auma.ca (contact us).
