Tag: ENYearInReview

Aspirations:
In the upcoming year we are committed to act and understand that advocacy is a human right. We will support the work of others in the community who move towards justice; as Martin Luther King, Jr. reminds us, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
We’re looking forward to working with new members and seeing what new directions and strategies we take.
Equity Network continues to embrace equity, while pushing against racism, ableism and all forms of oppression, with love and determination in our community.

What I would like to provide for the Network:

• Blogs/writing assignments
• Provision of space/time to discuss ideas in a group setting

My hopes for the network for the next year

• To be recognised as an organisation involved with equitable change in Ontario
• There is a trifecta of concerns around the experiences of people that are living beyond stable accommodation: Mental Illness, Substance misuse, Crime and imprisonment, law enforcement, Disability. Whilst these concerns affect specific populations of Hamilton, there may be more in the greater Hamilton area that are either unaware or believe the challenge remains with the individual not the systems of education, employment and housing that have an impact on a person’s wellbeing.

Personally, this year has been one of growth, learning, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I’ve learned how to be a better ally and advocate. I’ve taken more opportunities to actively support activists and strong community voices who will work towards creating tangible and much needed change for vulnerable groups. I’ve participated in activities that allow me to share my voice and influence changes in systems that often perpetuate harm to underserved communities. These steps forward are influenced largely by the Equity Network and are things that I can pass on to my children.

Equity Network has made large strides as an organization this year. The group has created a seat for itself at the table, and the community connections that come with it are so important. It’s amazing to see how regularly Equity Network is consulted for its expertise and input. From the elections that occurred this year to pushes for policy changes in various systems, the Equity Network has worked towards creating real change that will have strong impacts on our communities. I’m looking forward to seeing the results that come out of this continuous hard work that Equity Network puts into creating a better and more inclusive world for everyone.

We will continue to offer support to address food insecurity through ongoing donations to Community Fridges. We would like to support positive and important initiatives such as, specifically, The Graduation Coaches for Black Students as well as events celebrating and supporting First Nations.

This past year, Equity Network supported the Hamilton Encampment Support Network with donation drives and pushing for a just housing response from the city of Hamilton. EN stood against a violent hate rally at a Drag Story time at Terryberry Library. EN showed up consistently to canvass for and support candidates for municipal and provincial elections. Our members attended the swearing in ceremonies of Trustee Sabreina Dahab and MPP Sarah Jama.

It has been an empowering year of standing in our own power as people marginalized by systems. It has been a beautiful year of standing with community members who have been harmed. It has been a year of radical love and care. I want to thank Equity Network and founder Andrea Purnell for creating this safe and loving space for us. From education to healthcare to local politics, we are chipping away relentlessly to call out oppression and stand by those in our community who fight oppressive systems at the frontline. Looking forward to continuing the work next year!

The initiatives that were highlighted this year focused on working with HESN, challenging the schools boards’ colonial policies and food security, advocating directly in harmful systems that attempted to hide behind sketchy policies, practices and procedures.

What was challenging this year was, although we thought we had enough energy and resources to address the initiatives identified by the group, we sadly underestimated those who are holding on by their fingertips to the whiteness and the status quo.

Below is the working group members’ thoughts and critiques of Equity Network’s 3rd year as an advocacy group.  “A movement that’s rooted in love will always win.”

We are pleased with EN’s ongoing commitment in supporting other grassroots organizations to unapologetically push forward toward equity and justice in all spaces for Black, Indigenous, Brown and 2SLGBTQIA+ and marginalized members in community. EN played a role in establishing a de-colonized space filled with an energy and belief that organizing, advocacy and community collaboration is the key to achieving systemic and structural transformation.
Our goals for this past year was to increase our Working Group membership to include those who are ready to contribute and support change.
We will be blogging this rest of the month the members’ thoughts and critiques of Equity Network’ 3rd year as an advocacy group.