Fourth COVID-19 Conversation Series – Shifting worldviews: stories about advancing equity and justice

How we treat each other matters and coming together in good ways creates better possibilities for moving forward and advancing equity. In this session, Street Culture Project in Regina, Saskatchewan will share stories and reflections on reconciliation, the power of collectives, trust and humanity. Drawing on their work with youth, we will hear and reflect on a variety of themes, focused on building culture, acknowledging the harms of colonialism, and creating spaces where everyone is welcome.  

Organizations are working to advance equity, use trauma-informed practice, and apply an anti-racism and anti-oppression approach. We can learn from these organizations. In this session, we will hear from organizations who have collaborated in Belleville, Ontario to create and sustain a drop-in centre. This centre addresses inequitable access to essential resources experienced by communities. We will hear about insights from these partnerships and relationships, and ways in which these organizations have been able to overcome barriers like uncertainty, fear and risk aversion.

Building community power and privileging community expertise is required to collectively disrupt the status quo. Hogan’s Alley Society in Vancouver, B.C., will share stories of how they engaged with people from diverse Black communities to understand their COVID-19 vaccine intentions, and overcome histories of anti-Black racism. In this conversation, we will reflect on ways to connect, learn from and amplify expertise of Black communities. Join us to hear insights and delve deeply into considerations for public health to engage and build community power with Black communities.

Learning from community expertise is essential to make change happen. Storytellers from the Peer-2-Peer Program in Chatham Kent, Ontario will share insights from the work they’ve been doing to engage with people who use drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will listen to stories about their work to amplify the expertise of people who use drugs, and to plan and implement peer-led community overdose alert and response systems. We will reflect on approaches to increase the capacity of organizations to meaningfully engage and share power for change.