https://rashidylaw.com/lawyers/mohamed-el-rashidy/ Community Groups Welcome Province’s Announcement On Anti-Racism Directorate TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Feb. 16, 2016) – Community organizations working to advance racial equity and racial justice in Ontario welcome the announcement made by Premier Kathleen Wynne on her plan to establish an Anti-racism Directorate to combat racism in Ontario. Colour of Poverty/Colour of Change (COPC) is a province-wide initiative made up of individuals and organizations working to build community-based capacity to address the growing racialization of poverty and the resulting experience of increased levels of social exclusion and marginalization of racialized communities across Ontario. Since 2007, COPC has been pushing for a racial justice agenda in view of the ever-growing disparities facing Indigenous Peoples and peoples of colour across this province. Both COPC and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) have been calling on the Government of Ontario to, among others, establish an Equity and Anti-Racism Directorate with a pan-provincial government-wide mandate to assist the Government develop an integrated implementation of comprehensive and inclusive equity and anti-racism policies and practices. “We are pleased to see Premier Wynne finally heeding the call of the communities to move forward on the racial equity agenda, and making a commitment to create the Directorate,” said Neethan Shan, Executive Director of CASSA and Steering Committee member of COPC. “We thank the forty organizations from across the province that joined CASSA’s campaign to establish this important step towards addressing racism in Ontario,” added Shan. Racial disparities have been on the rise in Ontario, as evidenced in such areas as higher poverty rates and higher unemployment and under-employment rates even though members of racialized communities have a higher participation in the labour market. “ was correct when she said the Directorate is needed t