Cultural diversity – the cornerstone of Canadian society and a strategic priority for the Canada Council
Canadians reflect a dynamic and evolving cultural, ethnic and linguistic makeup that is found nowhere else on earth. As recognized by the Department of Canadian Heritage (Multiculturalism): “Approximately 200,000 immigrants a year from all parts of the globe continue to choose Canada, drawn by its quality of life and its reputation as an open, peaceful and caring society that welcomes newcomers and values diversity.” Canada’s approach to diversity is based on the understanding that “respect for cultural distinctiveness is intrinsic to an individual’s sense of self worth and identity, and a society that accommodates everyone equally is a society that encourages achievement, participation, attachment to country and a sense of belonging.” (http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/multi/respect_e.cfm)
“This does not mean that there aren’t tensions in Canada that flow from the differences between people. But as these tensions are addressed, Canadians learn to adapt and relate to one another despite their differences. Through practice, we have come to understand that the differences between us do not have to divide us. … Diversity is moving beyond language, ethnicity, race and religion, to include cross-cutting characteristics such as gender, sexual orientation, and range of ability and age. The same approaches that have helped Canadians develop into a bilingual, multicultural society are now also helping to bring down other barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential.”
The diversity of cultures in Canada is reflected in a rich tapestry of traditions, and these are especially important to new immigrants. The 2003 Ethnic Diversity Survey conducted by Statistics Canada, for example, found that 57 per cent of first generation Canadians had a strong sense of belonging to their ethnic or cultural group, and about 63 per cent (or 6.5 million people) said that maintaining ethnic customs and traditions was important. (http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/89-593-XIE.htm)
“Today we have the opportunity to shape one of the world’s most diverse societies. It is estimated that, by the year 2020, immigration will account for Canada’s total population growth. In addition, the growth rate among Aboriginal peoples is double that of the general population. The effect of this cultural richness is to multiply points of view, ideas and means of expression, and to nourish our modern society based on knowledge and creativity.”
Hon. Hélène Chalifour Scherrer
Minister of Canadian Heritage
2004 Chalmers Conference
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/discours-speeches/2004-02-27_e.cfm
The first-ever Canadian Multiculturalism Day was on June 27, 2003 as part of the Celebrate Canada! program of activities. A new strategic plan on diversity and culture was released with the first objective being to “ensure that the composition of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio, including commissions, boards, juries, and workforce, is representative of the diversity of Canada.” (http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/dcforum/pubs/strat/strat_e.pdf) The federal government also launched the $3.6 million Spark Initiative – a partnership among the National Film Board, the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage – to provide culturally diverse filmmakers and producers with better access to the industry. (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/declic-spark/index_e.cfm) Other Celebrate Canada! events include: National Aboriginal Day (June 21), Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24) and Canada Day (July 1). (http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/canada/index_e.cfm)
“Multiculturalism is for everyone; it touches Canadians from all backgrounds. This special day allows us to celebrate the economic, social, and cultural benefits that diversity has brought to this country. I am proud that Canadians have chosen to follow a path of inclusion, to see the words respect, equality, and freedom not merely as concepts, but as values to be lived everyday.”
Hon. Jean Augustine
Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)
June 27, 2003
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/newsroom/news_e.cfm?Action=Display&code=3N0147E
The federal government’s approach to fostering culturally diverse communities in Canada is being extended into the international community. Specifically, the government announced in 1999 that it would actively pursue a New International Instrument on Cultural Diversity (NIICD). As a result of globalization, the internet and mass markets for consumer goods, many countries are now urging UNESCO to adopt a binding international convention on cultural diversity during the 2005 General Conference that would have equal force to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GAT). At the heart of the issue is the understanding among many countries that cultural goods and services are not just mere commodities for consumption and that trade rules should not undermine a country’s cultural policies and programs. As each diverse culture in Canada is important, each diverse country is important internationally. Additional information on the NIICD can be obtained from the Coalition for Cultural Diversity (http://www.cdc-ccd.org/), the Department of Canadian Heritage (http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/ai-ia/ridp-irpd/03/index_e.cfm), and the International Network on Cultural Diversity (http://206.191.7.19/meetings/2001/statement_e.shtml).
“Once and for all, let me say that cultural affirmation is not a synonym for protectionism. Of all the world’s countries, Canada is the most open to other cultures. Proof of this is in the films shown on our movie and television screens, the music played on our radio stations, the magazines on our newsstands, and the books on display in our bookshops. This openness enriches Canadian society. But it should not make our own creations invisible in our own markets. I do not mean restricting trade, but ensuring wider circulation of cultural products.”
Hon. Hélène Chalifour Scherrer
Minister of Canadian Heritage
2004 Chalmers Conference
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/min/discours-speeches/2004-02-27_e.cfm
Canada Council highlights
As outlined in its Corporate Plan, the Council’s goals are to expand existing audiences, create new audiences and foster public enjoyment of the arts. To help meet these goals, the Council has identified the culturally diverse community as a strategic funding priority, along with the youth community and the Aboriginal community. In 2002-03, the Council distributed about $10.9 million in direct and indirect funding to culturally diverse artists and arts organizations – an increase of over 50 per cent from the $7.2 million provided in 2001-02.
One of the greatest areas for new audience development is in culturally diverse communities since the Canadian population is growing more from immigration than from natural increase. In May 2001, 5.4 million people (or 18 per cent of the population) were born outside the country, and of the 1.8 million immigrants who arrived during the 1990s, 73 per cent chose to live in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal – cities that are also home to the largest concentration of Canadian artists and arts organizations.
Other highlights of the Council’s support to culturally diverse communities include:
The introduction of two dedicated programs in 1999-00: the Capacity-Building Program to Support Culturally Diverse Artistic Practices, which provided three-year grants of $90,000 to a total of 51 organizations to consolidate their administrative activities and infrastructure; and the Assistance to Culturally Diverse Curators for Residencies in Visual Arts program, which is designed to expand the national pool of curatorial professionals who are of African, Asian, Latin American or Middle Eastern origin and advance knowledge and expertise in Canadian visual arts institutions.
The Council organized Exposed Roots in 2003 to showcase some of the best Canadian Aboriginal and world artists. Sixteen music groups and artists were selected to perform during the CINARS Forum and Rendez-vous Folk Conference in Montreal to create greater awareness of Canadian Aboriginal and culturally diverse music artists. The Council also coordinated the Showcase of Culturally Diverse and First Peoples Music Artists in 1998.
In 2002-03, the Council used 654 peer assessors on its peer assessment committees, and 89 (or 14 per cent) were culturally diverse individuals – almost exactly the same as the culturally diverse share of the national population (13 per cent). Moreover, the Council’s Equity Coordinator estimates that over the past four fiscal years, between 15 per cent and 18 per cent of funding to individual artists has gone to culturally diverse artists.
The Capacity-Building program has helped organizations grow artistically and administratively: the Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art is engaged in a strategic planning process; Vancouver’s Arsenal Pulp Press has hired a marketing manager and has increased sales by 43 per cent; Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop has presented a full season of cultural activities; Toronto’s AfriCanadian Playwrights Festival has hired an in-house web designer to create a virtual home for Black Canadian playwrights; and Toronto’s dance Immersion organized the first national conference on African dance in Canada.
The Council, in partnership with Capacity-Building participants and the Department of Canadian Heritage, launched the Stand Firm initiative in 2001 to encourage peer-networking and continuous learning by means of national and regional forums, distance seminars and interactive web discussions.
The Council has been engaged in a dialogue on issues of racial diversity since 1990, and as recognized by the Department of Canadian Heritage: “The Equity Office and the Advisory Committee for Racial Equality in the Arts have been a transformative force, building committee partnerships between culturally diverse communities, the staff and senior management, and the Board of Directors.”
The Council is subject to the Employment Equity Act which requires employers to monitor the representation of women, Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities and persons with disabilities. The Council’s representation of people in these designated groups matches or exceeds Canadian workforce levels: 11 per cent of the Council’s workforce are visible minorities (compared to 8 per cent of the workforce), 6 per cent are Aboriginal people (compared to 1 percent of the workforce), 73 per cent are women (compared to 60 per cent of the workforce) and 5 per cent are persons with disabilities (compared to 5 per cent of the workforce).
The Council was a finalist for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s 2001 Award of Excellence, and the 12th Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, 1999-00 stated that: “There is much to learn from the Canada Council’s work.”