City of Calgary's Systemic Racism Public Consultation, What to Expect, Some Ideas and More

As part of Calgary’s commitment to anti-racism, The City of Calgary is holding a public consultation on systemic racism through a meeting of the Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services which is scheduled to start on July 7 and 8, 2020. 

How to register to present at the meeting:
Registration is now over. Thank you for registering.

How to view the agenda:
Here it is.

How to speak to the City Council committee:
Here is a document to help you prepare for speaking to City Council.

How to listen in, but not present:
We recommend all Calgarians to watch the council meeting live on the day of.

Sharing experiences of racism can be a really difficult and scary thing to do. Here are some tips that might help you stay grounded and present as you speak: 

1. Practice saying what you want to say. Say it in a way that is most familiar and comfortable for you. 
2. Remember to breathe. What you have to say is so important, and deserves to be heard. Take a deep breath and keep breathing as you speak; it will help with the nerves. 
3. Have something that might help ground you. Examples of this can be an object you hold or touch, a visual focal point, a comforting scent, a quote, etc. 
4. Find your community. Reach out to someone you trust that can be there with you, or find someone you can talk to afterwards.
5. Try to take time and space for yourself to do something restorative after you have spoken at the consultation. (Ie. Eat, take a walk, spend time with pets, take a nap, etc.) 
6. There is so much power and courage in speaking up in this way. All the others speaking at this consultation are there to support you. 
7. Thank-you for sharing your story, and giving your input. 

City consultation by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation

Preparing for the consultation by Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation