Inclusive futures

Inclusive futures

What is inclusive futures?

Inclusive futures will happen when Calgary institutions have trusted and informed relationships with equity-seeking communities (ESCs). This is possible when ESCs:

  • Are regarded as strengths to society.
  • Have meaningful voices in decision-making and leadership.
  • Are connected and feel empowered to act.
  • Interact with systems where power is fairly distributed.
  • Are valued for their differing opinions that challenge our thinking.

(Source: Derek Cook, Director of Canadian Poverty Institute, Ambrose University

Why is inclusive futures important?

A key resilience challenge in Calgary is the lack of equity and inclusion in leadership and decision-making.
Other equity resilience challenges include:

Working towards inclusive futures

In 2020 the resilience team worked on the following initiatives.

Increasing diverse representation on boards

Establishing equitable decision-making processes

Creating a community-informed plan to recover from the pandemic

Promoting community future-readiness

Resilient Calgary believes inclusive futures are built on trusted and informed relationships between Calgary institutions with all Calgarians, where equity-deserving communities:

  • Are regarded as strengths to society.
  • Have meaningful voices in decision-making and leadership.
  • Are connected and feel empowered to act.
  • Interact with systems where power is distributed fairly.
  • Are valued for their differing opinions that challenge our thinking.

As part of our commitment to advancing an inclusive future, Resilient Calgary is honoured to partner with Calgary Poet Laureate, Wakefield Brewster, and other community champions to foster greater participation in all elements of our community. Wakefield shares his lived experience of growth and setbacks in our city on our journey to inclusion. His deeply moving poem, What Does It Look Like, details these experiences while expressing an immense feeling of hope for the future of youth in our city.

On May 10, 2023, there will be a live performance from Wakefield Brewster. Those interested in attending can register on Eventbrite.

Equity-seeking communities (ESCs)

ESCs include groups of people who generally have less access to opportunities, resources, and systems of power because of their actual or perceived identity or identities. ESCs often experience social and financial disadvantages because of systems of oppression. Oppression takes many forms including but not limited to racism, sexism, and ableism.

Examples of ESCs include but are not limited to:

  • Indigenous peoples
  • women 
  • Black communities/people of colour
  • immigrants
  • members of non-western religions
  • people with mental illness or physical or intellectual disabilities
  • older adults
  • youth
  • people experiencing poverty
  • lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, intersex, queer/questioning, two-spirited (LGBTIQ2S+) and non-binary people

This list is not exhaustive and is always evolving

People who belong to multiple ESCs often experience overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Resources

Publications & articles

Websites

Videos

Books

  • Subtle Acts of Exclusion 
  • Lowman, E.B. and Barker, A.J. (2015). Settler: Identity and Colonialism in 21st Century Canada. Halifax, Canada: Fernwood Publishing.
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