Our organization and our work are strengthened by recognizing and valuing a full representation of perspectives and experiences that exist in Canadian communities. We are committed to combating discrimination in all forms, including on the basis of Indigenous ancestry, race, ethnicity, ability, legal status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, income, and religious affiliation. We know that food insecurity is a form of economic inequity, which is often compounded by these intersecting identities. We work in diverse sociopolitical contexts and recognize the importance of local identities and knowledge. We respect the right of Indigenous communities to self determination. Our organization is committed to achieving full accessibility for persons of all abilities. Part of this commitment includes arranging accommodations for persons of all abilities to create an equitable and inclusive work environment. At Community Food Centres Canada, we resolve to listen to and include these voices in our organization and work, and to respond, acknowledge, and adapt where bias and inequities appear. We are committed to building greater equity and inclusion, both within our organization and through the work we do with partners across Canada. ANTI-BLACK RACISM - Anti-Black racism is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and its legacy. Anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, policies and practices, to the extent that anti-Black racism is either functionally normalized or rendered invisible to the larger white society. Anti-Black racism is manifest in the current social, economic, and political marginalization of African Canadians, which includes unequal opportunities, lower socio-economic status, higher unemployment, significant poverty rates and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. Read our solidarity statement. EQUITY - The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations. In order to achieve equity, accommodations must be made to address the specific needs of individuals and groups that have historically been oppressed. If we treat all individuals in exactly the same way, we perpetuate oppressive economic, political, and social systems that result in unequal access to opportunities. Equity in practice ensures fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people, with consideration of specific individual and group identities. INCLUSION - The act of creating environments in which any individual or group feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a fully participating member. It is an intentional effort to transform the status quo by creating opportunity for those who have been historically oppressed. INDIGENOUS SELF-DETERMINATION - Indigenous peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right, they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. INTERSECTING IDENTITIES - An individual’s identity consists of multiple intersecting factors, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, culture and sexuality which, together, produce something unique and distinct from any one form of discrimination standing alone (e.g. racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia). The privileges we enjoy and the discriminations we face are products of our unique positioning in society as determined by these social, political and economical classifiers. SOCIAL JUSTICE - A concept based on a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable and individuals and groups are given equal opportunity, civil liberties, and participation in the rights, freedoms and responsibilities valued by society. Adapted from: Government of Ontario YWCA: Our Shared Language Social Justice Glossary Thought Co: Definition of Intersectionality The Ontario Human Rights Code UN Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People http://www.the519.org/education-training/glossary https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/about/glossary