Day One: October 25, 2011

What to expect: The first day of Roadmap: 2030 will focus on understanding the opportunities and challenges our increasing diversity brings, and the role that community engagement and active citizenship play in addressing them. From balancing rights, to diversity in politics, to accessibility, to the role of faith in public policy, we will shed light on many of today’s “big issues”, gaining insight and perspective on the way forward.

Keynote Address — 9am (Epic Room)

Keynote Address by Tony Burman, followed by a discussion moderated by Minelle Mahtani (Associate Professor, University of Toronto)

Diversity, Citizenship and Canada — 9:40am (Epic Room)

What does active citizenship mean in a changing and diverse Canada? How can engagement between the public and political sector and diverse communities support active citizenship for all Canadians?

Speakers: Gillian Hewitt Smith (Executive Director; Institute for Canadian Citizenship), John Monahan (Executive Director; Mosaic Institute), Karen Campbell (Sr. Policy Analyst; Assembly of First Nations), Dr. Phil Triadafilopoulos (Asst. Professor; University of Toronto) and Uzma Shakir (Director, Office of Equity, Diversity & Human Rights; City of Toronto). Moderated by: Hamlin Grange (President; DiversiPro)

Whose Rights? What’s “Right”? — 11am (Epic Room)

In a multicultural and diverse society, how do we accommodate and balance the rights of communities with those of other communities and the wider Canadian society… and what do we do when they clash? Community organizers and public servants discuss the balancing act of rights and accommodation.

Speakers: Barbara Hall (Chief Commissioner; Ontario Human Rights Commission), Grace-Edward Galabuzi (Assoc. Professor; Ryerson University) and Samina Sami (Director; Ontario Community Safety and Correctional Services). Moderated by Michelle Farrell (Director – Diversity, Equity & Ethics, Office of the Commissioner; Ontario Provincial Police).

The Rise of “Ethnic” Voters — 11am (Novella Room)

This year’s federal election saw an unprecedented focus on engaging diverse voters. What has this election taught us about engaging diverse communities across Canada and what are our expectations for future elections and governments?

Speakers: Chad Rogers (Partner, Crestview Strategy), David Herle (Partner, Gandalf Group), and John Laschinger (Northstar Research Partners). Moderated by Marina Jimenez (Editorial Board Member, The Globe and Mail).

The Boom Effect — 1pm (Epic Room)

As Canada’s population ages, ability and accessibility issues will become more prevalent. What policies, programs and engagement methods will be needed to address the needs of a population with increasing disabilities?

Speakers: Gerard Kennedy (former Member of Parliament), John Rae (Disability Activist) and Laurie Letheren (Staff Lawyer; ARCH). Moderated by Paul Lewis (President, Discovery Channel Canada)

Representation and Influence — 1pm (Novella Room)

Does diversity within political office lead to more diverse policy? How does the cultural or ethnic background of candidates and elected representatives affect their work and the way they represent their electorates and communities?

Speakers: Karen Sun (Candidate, Toronto City Council), Navdeep Bains (Former Member of Parliament) and Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Member of Parliament). Moderated by Natasha Fatah (Journalist).

Preparing for 2030 — 2:20pm (Epic Room)

What must be done on a program and service level to prepare for the dramatic demographic changes Canada expects to see in the coming years? How do current initiatives support – or hinder – this work, and our evolving views of diversity and Canadian citizenship and identity?

Speakers: Gervan Fearon (Dean, Chang School; Ryerson University), Jack McCarthy (Executive Director; Sommerset West Community Health Centre), Noelle Richardson (Chief Diversity Officer – Agencies; Ontario Attorney General) and Sharon Douglas (Director, Community Investment; United Way of Peel Region). Moderated by Debbie Douglas (Executive Director, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants).

I am Canadian? — 2:20pm (Novella Room)

How does race, culture or ability affect the sense of Canadian identity for youth? What impact does culture or community have on engagement, inclusion and active citizenship for diverse youth? Researchers share insight into the link between cultural identity and engagement, and youth organizations discuss the challenges and opportunities disengagement presents.

Speakers: Byron Gray (Interim Sr. Manager, Jane Finch Community Centre), Chalo Barrueto (Managing Director, U for Change), Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai (Advisor; Natl. Educational Association of Disabled Students) and Dr. Rupa Banerjee (Ryerson University). Moderated by Angie Seth (Anchor, OMNI News).

What’s God Got to Do With It? Faith and Policy — 3:40pm (Epic Room)

Over the past year, public debate erupted over prayer sessions in public schools, banning the kirpan from legislative buildings in Quebec and the courting of faith communities during the federal election. As our population changes, religious values and their expression in the public realm are also changing. How do we address the needs of faith communities and those of the wider Canadian society? How much influence should faith – and faith communities – have in public and political policy?

Speakers: Peter Noteboom (Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches), Peter Stockland (Executive Director, Cardus) and Pandit Roopnauth Sharma (President, Hindu Federation). Moderated by Michael Swan (Assoc. Editor, Catholic Register).

The Education Bridge — 3:40pm (Novella Room)

Canada consistently ranks in “top 10” lists of the best countries in which to live, and yet grapples with a gap in conditions, achievement and prosperity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. Can education help to address this gap? Leaders in post-secondary education share current initiatives that build bridges between educational institutions and Aboriginal communities, and methods of collaboration to develop programs and policies that support and accommodate the needs of Aboriginal learners.

Speakers: Adam Hopkins (Aboriginal Enrollment Advisor; Trent University), Brittany Luby (Founder, indigenousstudentlife.com), Ed Wacheye (Aboriginal Counsellor, Ryerson University), Jacqui Lavalley (Ojibway Traditional Grandmother (York University)), and Monica McKay (Aboriginal Service Coordinator, Ryerson University). Moderated by Andre Morriseau (Communications Officer; Chiefs of Ontario).

Day Two: October 26, 2011

What to expect: Having spent yesterday focusing on “big issues” and ideas, the challenges and opportunities our increasing diversity presents, we now shift gears to focus on how to take action. From engaging youth to collaborative policy development to identifying thought-leaders and stakeholders, we will share best practices and innovative ideas in engaging diverse communities in policy and program development.

2030’s Leaders — 9:30am (Epic Room)

Young leaders and influencers discuss the factors that lead to active citizenship and involvement among young Canadians and what needs to be put into place to support and enable the young leaders of today and tomorrow.
Speakers: Immanuel Giulea (Founder; Société Macdonald-Cartier Society), Jessica Yee (Executive Director; Native Youth Sexual Health Network), Paul Martin (Toronto Youth Cabinet; City of Toronto) and Taylor Gunn (Executive Director; Student Vote). Moderated by Jeff Good (President; Goodworld Consulting).

People-led Policy Development — 11am (Epic Room)

As both the complexity of public policy decisions and citizens desire greater involvement and transparency increase, new models of public participation are coming to the forefront. What are the best practices in this area and how are citizens being invited to collaborate on policy decisions?
Speakers: Allyson Hewitt (Director; SiG @ MaRS), James Stauch (Vice President, Programs & Operations; Gordon Foundation), Michael Mendelson (Sr. Scholar, Caledon Institute) and Peter Macleod (President; Mass LBP). Moderated by Cheryl May (Executive Director; Skills For Change),

Case Study: The Unspeakable — 11am (Novella Room)

When faced with difficult or controversial issues, communities sometimes fear publicly airing “dirty laundry”. How can we address issues if no one will speak about them? CBC Radio takes us behind the scenes of two recent programs on domestic violence in South Asian communities and absentee black fathers – and shares their successful approach to tackling sensitive issues in the most public way of all – the mainstream media. Speakers: Aruna Papp (Family Counseling & Mediation Services), Joan Melanson (Executive Producer; CBC Radio) and Naila Butt (Social Services Network).

Case Study: Building an Accessible Ontario — 1pm (Epic Room)

By January, the Customer Service standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) will come into effect for all businesses; it is another step toward Ontario’s goal of full accessibility by 2025. This case study looks at how this standard come to be, what role disability communities played in its development, and what’s next for Ontario’s accessibility goals. We then look at how policy becomes practice with two organizations that implemented the standard early.

Speakers: Ellen Waxman (Asst. Deputy Minister; Accessibility Directorate of Ontario), Heidi Penning (Equity Advisor; Queen’s University), James Sanders (Chair; Accessibility Standards Advisory Council of Ontario), Dr. Marie Bountrogianni (Former Ontario Cabinet Minister) and Pina D’Intino (Sr. Manager, Enabling Solutions and Support Management; Scotiabank). Moderated by Lorin MacDonald (Advisor; Accessibility Standards Advisory Council of Ontario).

Diversity Gets Social — 1pm (Novella Room)

A recent study showed that the majority of Canadians would engage in policy discussion if there were ways to participate online. Three organizations will present their best practices in online and social community engagement and share insight into how you can use these tools and methods to reach and connect with communities.
Speakers: Robert Pearson (Director; Accessible Media Inc.), Elena Yunusov (Communications Officer; Ontario Ombudsman) and Ahmad Ktaech (President; K and Co.).

Who Speaks? — 2:30pm (Epic Room)

When working with communities, how do you determine with whom to speak and which views to follow? Government, NGO and private sector organizations share their best practices for identifying thought-leaders and balancing conflicting perspectives.

Speakers: Cindy Tan (Project Manager, Civic Action), Michelle Noble (Director, Communications and Marketing; Waterfront TO) and Suelyn Knight (Community Outreach Coordinator; United Way of Peel Region). Moderated by Ceta Ramkhalawansingh (Former Corporate Diversity Manager, City of Toronto).

Design. Execute. Evaluate. — 2:30pm (Novella Room)

Community organizers often act as “first contact” for civic engagement, by creating spaces for citizens to come together and get involved in issues affecting them. How can organizers plan for open and on-going engagement and how can they measure progress and success? This workshop will share innovate approaches that community organizations can use to design and deliver long-term engagement initiatives.

Speakers: Bettina Von Lieres (Senior Lecturer; University of Toronto), Matt Leighninger (Executive Director; Deliberative Democracy Consortium), Miriam Wyman (Principal; Practicum Limited).

What Have We Learned? — 3:30pm (Epic Room)

After two days, 70+ presenters, 18 sessions, one keynote address and countless notes and tweets, we will gather to discuss our impressions, insight and action items from Roadmap: 2030. This facilitated session, led by Marguerite Orane, will give you a chance to share your ideas about where we’ve been and where we are going.