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Background

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• Environment in the Public Service
• Genesis of the Conference

The Conference initiative was the culmination of several attempts throughout the 1990s to start a national network of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service. Various EE studies, consultations and reports gave hope and sparked initiatives, but the critical support needed to sustain a momentum of change did not exist at the time.

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Environment in the Public Service

In the early 1990s, a number of Visible Minority networks were formed across government. Treasury Board’s Visible Minority consultation group chaired by Carl Taylor released two well-known reports that set the stage for progressive action on issues affecting Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service:

• Breaking through the Visibility Ceiling, March 27, 1992 (interim report)
  
• Distortions in the Mirror, January 22, 1993 (final report)

In 1997, John Samuel’s report to the Human Rights Commission on Visible Minorities and the Public Service in Canada was released. Groups of Visible Minority Federal Public Service employees sought to initiate a national network during consultations leading up to those reports. As well, several Visible Minority network meetings were held at which Dr. Hedy Fry and Jean Augustine were invited as keynote speakers.

More recently, a series of reports and events created momentum for action:

1. Visible Minority successes in the Ranjit Perera, Frank Boahene and Fred Bloch vs the Queen case (re: CIDA) and the decision of the Canadian Human Rights Commission Tribunal on the NCARR vs Health Canada.
   
2. Two-day Forum on Racial Discrimination in the Federal Public Service organized in February 1998, by the Racially Visible Action Committee, an ad hoc committee of Bargaining Agent Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), in joint partnership with Bargaining Agent Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).
   
3. In early 1999:
   • The 1998-99 Treasury Board Report on Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service was released.
     
   • Shortly after, the PSAC Analysis of the Treasury Board Report was made public, noting dim prospects for Visible Minorities.
      
     In March 1999, statistics on Work Force Availability, according to Treasury Board guidelines, were released.
     
4. Recently, two task forces began work:
   • the Task Force on the Participation of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service, chaired by Mr. Lewis Perinbam;
     
   • the Task Force on an Inclusive Public Service, chaired by Dr. Janet Smith.
     
5. In mid-1999, it was announced that Treasury Board would henceforth be a management board, leaving departments to plan and manage their own EE programs.
   
6. Also, in mid-1999, the Minister of Justice appointed a committee to review the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Employment Equity Act.
   
7. The Speech from the Throne, presented by a Visible Minority Governor General, addressed diversity as a priority of the federal government.

Demographers have projected that in the first 10 to 15 years of the 21st century, no ethnic or racial group would be numerically dominant in the major cities of Canada. Academics, researchers and senior managers in the public service recognize that the Federal Public Service has to develop its capability and cultural sensitivity to better serve its clients – the diverse people of Canada.

Visible Minorities now comprise a critical mass of close to 10,000, coast-to-coast, within the Federal Public Service. Over the years, they have become more experienced and knowledgeable, and familiar with the parameters and boundaries of the system. Many have recently been speaking out about EE within their departments.

These conditions seem to have come together in 1999 to create the opportunity and conditions for Visible Minorities and senior managers in several departments to work together on a national scale.

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Genesis of the Conference

The 1999 National Conference initiative emerged from a series of 1998-99 departmental Visible Minority Networks, EE conferences and meetings organized by EE or Visible Minority networks and committees.

During a workshop on "Networking with Visible Minority Groups in Federal Departments" at the March 25–26, 1999, annual meeting of the Canadian Heritage Committee for Equal Access and Participation, a proposal was made to organize a meeting of interested Visible Minority employees in the NCR.

In April 1999, about 40 departmental committee members and other individuals attended an Inter-Departmental Meeting of Visible Minorities in the NCR hosted by the Committee at the Department of Indian and Northern Development (DIAND). The idea for a national conference emerged from this meeting.

Four Inter-Departmental Meetings of Visible Minorities were held before the Conference. Host departments were Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (May); Statistics Canada (July); PWGSC (September); and CIDA (October) with Justice hosting the Strategic Planning meeting.

At the meeting in May, a Conference Committee was established, and the organization’s name was ratified: National Council of Visible Minorities (NCVM). At the July meeting, other committees were set up and an October 1999 date was agreed on for the first National Conference of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service.

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