We worked with our partners in the private sector, government and community organizations to create greater public awareness of racism and racial discrimination.  For example, we continued our support of “Talented and Diverse Enterprises (EDIT) to encourage the Québec private sector to diversify its workforce. We also enhanced our cooperation with ANIMA Leadership, a private sector firm, to design and deliver cutting-edge training programs in the area of race relations.

Our collaboration with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in an important research project dealing with profiling, and our partnership with the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD), are additional examples of our accomplishments over the past year. We are also pleased with our cooperation with the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS), a cooperation which enabled us to co-sponsor a national poll about racism in Canada and to co-sponsor four workshops at the Association’s conference “Whose History for Whose Future” in Québec City. 

This was also the year in which we held our national conference and presented the biennial Award of Excellence, which recognized the best practices of Canadian organizations in the elimination of racism and racial discrimination. 

We face enormous economic challenges over the next year. In the past, such challenges have heightened the spectre of racism. Let us work to ensure that it stays in past – that we are better able to counter problems such as these together.

On behalf of the Board, staff, interns and volunteers of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, we wish you happy holidays and the very best for 2009.