CAUSEWAY IS CLOSED ON NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day to reflect on the role Canada has played in the past and present injustices against Indigenous peoples. It is also about understanding and taking action towards reconciliation and the creation of a more equitable, inclusive, and better future for everyone. At Causeway, part of our mission is to build better communities. This cannot happen without acknowledging the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. It is for this reason that we will be closed on Thursday, September 30th, 2021.
We are deeply saddened and outraged by the many recoveries of mass, unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of Residential schools across the country. We recognize that we all have a role to play to reach Reconciliation and wanted to share some of the actions that we have taken. Our aim is to show people that there are many ways to take meaningful action in supporting Indigenous peoples. Some of our actions include:
- Attending webinars and seeking out learning materials about Indigenous communities and history
- Establishing community partnerships with organizations that support Indigenous peoples in our community
- Taking a critical look at how we can cultivate a philanthropic culture that is rooted in equality and inclusion
- Creating processes for staff to bring forward important issues to ensure we are proactive in addressing issues including discrimination
Our commitment to taking meaningful action towards Reconciliation doesn’t stop with these steps because we know there is still work to do. We are committed to the following actions:
- Engage our community partners in our strategic planning process to determine where we can improve in our ability to support our Indigenous communities through Causeway programs and services
- Review our policies, practices and support strategies to ensure that they are culturally-relevant, inclusive and trauma-informed
- Collaborate with community partners working in Indigenous communities to reduce barriers in navigating systems in order to access Causeway’s programs and services
Our decision to close for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was made to give our staff the opportunity for reflection and learning. If you are looking for ways to help and would like to support organizations that work with Indigenous communities, please consider checking out this list of Ottawa-based Indigenous organizations: https://www.ottawaaboriginalcoalition.ca/indigenous-ottawa-organizations
As an organization that works to break down barriers to employment and build better, more inclusive communities for everyone, it is our commitment to do our part to learn about our history in order to build a better future and reach Reconciliation.