Canada’s commitments to the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

Budget 2018 announced $9 million over 3 years to enhance local and community support for Black youth in Canada.

• 56 projects were funded totaling $7.7 million through the Community Support for Black Canadian Youth Initiative (CSBCYI)
• $430,000 for a National Anti-Black Racism Education and Awareness Campaign called Say it Loud, which mobilized over 10,000 Black youth from coast to coast to coast
• $1.57 million to support outreach and engagement activities, research projects and performance measurement activities

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Budget 2018 provided $10 million over 5 years to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to create and implement the Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians (MHBC) Fund. This was aimed at enhancing local community supports for youth and their families and developing research in support of more culturally-focused mental health programs in Black communities in Canada.

Budget 2024 announced an additional $4 million over 2 years, starting in 2024 to 2025, for the MHBC Fund to continue supporting community-based, culturally focused, Black-led projects.

• Between September 2018 and March 2024, the MHBC Fund has successfully supported 23 community-led projects in a range of settings and for diverse Black populations in 5 provinces across Canada
• To support the work, PHAC established the MHBC Working Group, which includes individuals from Black communities across Canada and reflects mental health practitioners, researchers, advocates and those with lived experience. MHBC Working Group members played an integral role in the co-design and implementation of the MHBC Fund
• In 2020, PHAC released "Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A snapshot", which highlights how anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination are key drivers of health inequities faced by diverse Black communities in Canada
• From June 2019 to March 2022, results from the MHBC Fund include:
  • over 21,700 people were reached in over 5 provinces and territories
    • this includes over 7,743 Black people in Canada who were reached directly by MHBC funded projects that aimed to support positive mental health
    • other individuals reached include individuals who indirectly benefited from participation in project interventions (for example, health professionals, educators and other community members) and may include Black individuals but this information is not collected
  • of all MHBC Fund project participants
    • 71% reported increased knowledge of mental health
    • 65% reported increased skills or ability to support healthy behaviour
    • 68% reported that social environments were improved to support ongoing healthy behaviour; and
    • 61% reported improved health status
  • overall, the MHBC Fund has contributed to strengthening the data and evidence base on the determinants of mental health for Black people in Canada

Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Initiative - Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund - Canada.ca

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Budget 2019 invested $25 million over 5 years to establish the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) to empower Black-led and Black-serving community organizations and take concrete actions to address long-standing systemic barriers faced by Black people and communities in Canada. Subsequent budgets have committed an additional $175 million in funding to continue to support the work of community organizations that empower, advocate for and lift up Black communities in Canada.

• Through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, the Government of Canada has invested $82 million in capital assistance funding to more than 1,300 projects from Black-led organizations
• The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative formed an ecosystem of high-capacity Black-led and Black-serving organizations to act as National Funders. To date, they have awarded $70 million to support capacity building to over 1,300 projects from Black-led community organizations. In February 2024, the National Funders announced the funded projects from their third call for proposals
• An External Reference Group was created to support the Minister responsible for diversity and inclusion on issues affecting Black communities in Canada and to support the advancement of the Government's commitments to the Decade
• The Emerging Priorities stream has funded 3 projects:
  • $2.2 million awarded to renovate the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children into an accessible community hub for the African Nova Scotian community (now Kinney Place)
  • an investment of $2.1 million was awarded to the Montreal Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre to pursue a new venue that the city's Black communities can gather and showcase their artistic and cultural expression
  • $500,000 agreement with the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities (NABC) to support the SBCCI National Funders Network in developing their infrastructure and Communities of Practice within their network

Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

In September 2020, the Government of Canada, in partnership with Black-led business organizations and financial institutions, announced an investment of up to $265 million over 4 years. This included $130 million from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to launch Canada's first ever Black Entrepreneurship Program (BEP). The program has 3 components:

• the National Ecosystem Fund
• the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (BELF)
• the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH)

The National Ecosystem Fund:

• delivered by the Regional Development Agencies, the Ecosystem Fund has supported 43 not-for-profit organizations across the country to provide mentorship, financial planning services, and business training to over 14,000 Black entrepreneurs since inception

The Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund (BELF):

• the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund continues to support Black entrepreneurs to access capital to start, grow and innovate their businesses. The Loan Fund is administered by the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). As of September 3, 2024, the Loan Fund has approved $50.8 million in support of 671 loans, of which $44.6 million was disbursed to 512 businesses, since inception in May 2021

The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH):

• the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub continues to gather intelligence on the Black entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Canada. Supported by 6 regional hubs, the Hub launched its flagship Ecosystem Mapping Project in 2024, designed to help Black entrepreneurs and business owners access a network of resources, opportunities for business partnerships, and boost their profile among investors and customers. The Hub continues to hold community engagements nationally to support this mapping tool
• since inception in 2021, the Hub has held 2 annual symposiums (2022 and 2023) which brought Black academics and stakeholders together to take stock of research projects underway and share lessons learned. The Hub has launched a number of research projects, including a national quantitative survey, a qualitative study, and 8 community-driven research projects

Black Entrepreneurship Program (canada.ca)

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Through Budget 2021, the Government of Canada provided $200 million to establish a new Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund that would create a sustainable source of funding for Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving non-profit organizations and registered charities in Canada.

• In February 2023, the Government of Canada announced that it had entered into negotiations with the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) to administer the fund. The agreement was signed on March 31, 2023
• The Foundation for Black Communities is a national Black-led and Black-serving organization that aims to ensure that Black communities have the sustained resources and infrastructure they need to make a meaningful impact
• The Foundation for Black Communities launched the first call for proposals on December 18, 2023. On May 14, 2024, FFBC announced that in the first call for proposals, 107 Black-led, Black-focused and Black serving non-profit organizations across Canada received a total of $9.1 million, including $5.9 million from the Fund, for projects that support the fight against anti-Black racism or that work toward improving social and economic outcomes for Black communities in Canada

Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund

Department of Justice (JUS)

In December 2021, the Prime Minister tasked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada to develop Canada's Black Justice Strategy with the support of the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and in consultation and cooperation with provinces, territories and Black communities. The Prime Minister also tasked the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs to support the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in their work to address systemic racism and the overrepresentation of Black people in the justice system.

• In February 2023, an external Steering Group comprised of 9 experts and leaders from Black communities was established to provide strategic advice to the Government of Canada on key elements for the development of the Strategy
• In August 2023, Justice Canada contracted with 12 Black-led community-based organizations to lead the consultations and engagements with Black communities across the country
• In June 2024, the external Steering Group's Report, A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada's Black Justice Strategy was published. The report included 114 recommendations for concrete actions to address the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. Outcomes from consultations and engagements held in Fall 2023 in 9 provinces and territories across Canada, informed the external Steering Group's Report and recommendations
• Justice Canada is currently developing a government response to the external Steering Group Report

Canada's Black Justice Strategy

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Budget 2021 reconfirmed the government's commitment to supplier diversity with funding to support procurement opportunities for specific communities, such as a program focused on procuring from Black-owned businesses.

Forthcoming.

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Budget 2022 announced $40.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2022 to 2023, and $9.7 million ongoing to the federal granting councils to support dedicated scholarships and fellowships for promising Black student researchers.

• This funding will increase the number and proportion of Black research trainees at the undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels and will help make Canada's research culture more equitable, diverse and inclusive
• The payout of this funding began in 2023

NSERC - Media Room - Latest News - The Government of Canada announces new funding to support Black scholars (nserc-crsng.gc.ca)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

To improve supports for Black researchers, with a specific equity target for their representation in federally funded research delivered through the granting councils; foster the mentorship and development of younger researchers; and increase opportunities for Black Canadians in post-secondary institutions.

• In 2021, SSHRC established an Advisory Committee Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Research and Research Training, which issued a report in 2023
• Building on the findings and recommendations in this report, SSHRC engaged Black researchers in a series of interactive discussions, as it developed a 5-year action plan, launched in June 2024
• The Action Plan provides a framework to advance its commitments for equitable and representative access to SSHRC funding; fostering a more inclusive research ecosystem for Black scholars and other key objectives

SSHRC Action Plan for Black Researchers (2024-2029)

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CHMC)

$50 million carve-out under the National Housing Strategy's Affordable Housing Fund is dedicated to enhancing supply of affordable housing for Black renters and targeting housing investments by Black-led organizations for Black Canadians.

As of August 15, 2024, under the Affordable Housing Fund carve-out for Black Canadians, $38 million of the $50 million is committed, with $21 million disbursed. Additionally, a pipeline has been established to potentially take up the remaining funds prior to March 31, 2028. To date, 5 projects, representing 420 units, have been committed to, with 2 projects funded

Affordable Housing Fund for Black-led Organizations | CMHC (cmhc-schl.gc.ca)

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

The Program’s objectives are to support communities to:

• advance anti-racism, foster ethnocultural diversity and inclusion, promote intercultural and interfaith understanding
• provide equitable opportunities for equity-deserving populations and community organizations to participate fully in all aspects of Canadian society
• promote dialogue on multiculturalism, anti-racism, racial equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance institutional and systemic change so that Canada becomes a more inclusive society, free from racism and hate-motivated actions, and
• support research and evidence to build understanding of the disparities and challenges faced by equity-deserving populations

• The Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives (CSMARI) Program and Anti-Racism Action Program (ARAP) were consolidated into the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP)
• In recognition of UNDPAD, MARP introduced in January 2024 a new priority within its Events component for fiscal year 2024 to 2025
• To date, 11 projects have been supported for $379,700 related to UNDPAD

Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

As part of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, the Government of Canada is supporting the establishment of a national institute to advance initiatives that address issues affecting Black Canadians.

• In August 2024, the Government of Canada announced that it will be providing $7.25 million over 3 years to Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN) to establish the National Institute for People of African Descent
• CAFCAN is a Black-led and Black serving national organization that provides holistic, culturally responsive and affirming services from an Africentric perspective to enrich Caribbean African Canadian communities across Canada

• Canadian Heritage (PCH)
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy, stewarded by the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, is a $110.4 million investment aimed at driving action in employment, justice and law enforcement, housing, healthcare and immigration systems. It encompasses over 70 federal initiatives designed to ensure federal policies, programs and services reflect the Canada it serves, while also working in partnership with communities by investing over $70 million in local initiatives across the country. The Strategy will give particular attention to dismantling and eradicating racism embedded in systems and policies that harm Black people in Canada from an intersectional perspective.

On June 8, 2024, the Foundation for Black Communities, in partnership with the Global Coalition against Systemic Racism and the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, hosted "Canada's Journey: Advancing UNDPAD's Goals". This event, which was held at the Shoot for Peace offices in Regent Park, Toronto followed the announcement by the Honourable Minister Kamal Khera on the launch of Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024 to 2028

Changing Systems, Transforming Lives: Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

The Partnership will provide a framework for collaboration in combatting racism in Canada and Brazil. Our shared vision is to create an inclusive, equitable society free of racism or discrimination - where everyone can fully and meaningfully participate in, and enjoy the benefits of, the economic, cultural, social, and political spheres. It also represents a shared aim to eliminate racial discrimination and promote equitable opportunities, particularly for people of African Descent, living in Canada and Brazil.

Hosted by the Honourable Kamal Khera, and organized by the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, 3 roundtables were hosted in February and March 2024 on Canada's Plan for the extension of the UN Decade as well as recommendations for the Canada-Brazil Partnership offering an unprecedented opportunity for Black communities to shape Canadian foreign policy

Joint statement from Canada and Brazil on a forthcoming Partnership on Racial Equity and Inclusion - Canada.ca

• Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
• Canadian Heritage (PCH)
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

The Prime Minister of Canada and President of Mexico announced the Canada-Mexico Action Plan on the margins of the January 2023 North American Leaders Summit (NALS), as a blueprint for an ambitious effort to expand the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship. The Action Plan focuses on 9 priorities:

• Reconciliation with Indigenous people
• Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment
• Trade and Investment
• Anti-racism
• Youth Engagement
• Peace and Security
• Tourism, Migration and Human Mobility
• Environment and Climate Change, and
• Cooperation in the face of future health crises

• The Department of Canadian Heritage informed the pillar on anti-racism, which reaffirms the need to address inequality and racial discrimination, combat all forms of discrimination and hate, and work towards more just and inclusive societies. Under the anti-racism pillar, both countries will promote the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent
• PCH and ESDC will continue to lead or support activities that advance the aims of the Action Plan and promote the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent

Canada-Mexico Action Plan

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

Canadian Heritage is funding a project that stems from a commitment of the Declaration. The project will establish Canada's first civil society network focusing on generating new collaborations and information sharing across Canada, the United States and Mexico to advance racial equity and inclusion. Set-up as a national space of convergence for key actors from the Canadian not-for-profit, business, labour, philanthropic, cultural, sport and other sectors, this project will ignite new collaborative strategies as well as share best practices and information on innovative research and policies that advance racial equity and social justice, across North America. As a key deliverable of the North American Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice, the Canadian chapter of the North American Civil Society Network for Racial Equity and Inclusion, as it is called, will leverage the Partnership to carry out a series of pan-Canadian and local forums alongside events with their Mexican and US counterparts.

• The Partnership has resulted in $2.7 million dollars from Heritage Canada for the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants for the creation of the Canadian Chapter of the Civil Society Network for Equity and Racial Justice
• Engagement towards achieving the goals of UN Decade for People of African Descent has been identified as a shared priority under the Partnership

Declaration on the North American Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

On April 16, 2024, Budget 2024 proposed $273.6 million over 6 years, starting 2024 to 2025 and $29.3 million ongoing with specific funding allocated to the National Action Plan on Combatting Hate to support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization, and increase support for victims.

• In 2022, Canadian Heritage consulted with diverse groups through a national questionnaire and a series of Ministerial roundtables to inform actions under Canada's Anti-Hate Action Plan
• The Canada's Action Plan on Combatting Hate is a federal action plan to:
  • combat hate both implicit and explicit
  • provide enhanced training and tools for public safety agencies
  • investments to support digital literacy to prevent radicalization to violence, and
  • work towards protecting affected communities
• For Canadian Heritage, Budget 2024 provided funding for Anti-Hate programming, promoting intercultural ties and community-based activities, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and availability of hate crime data