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e-4515 (Social affairs and equality)
E-petition
Initiated by Iman Bukhari from Calgary, Alberta
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
- Race-based hate is increasing across Canada;
- Existing nation-wide data on race-based hate incidents in Canada is grievously limited;
- Limitations of relying on police-reported data is preventing us from getting a full picture of the prevalence of race-based hate;
- Due to the historical and intergenerational trauma resulting from colonialism and related policies, as well as individual and systemic racism, many Indigenous people face deeply rooted social and economic challenges, and lower levels of confidence in the police and other institutions. Therefore, they often don't report incidents to the police;
- A recent study, This Act Doesn't Represent Us: A five-year study on Canadian race-based hate incidents collected through English-language media coverage, proves government data is not enough to identify areas of reform; and
- Based on the research, there is a need for collecting robust and comprehensive race-based data in creating policy changes that address systemic racism.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to hire an independent agency — not Statistics Canada or law enforcement/policing organizations, due to broken trust in racialized communities — to collect national data on race-based hate incidents and their characteristics. As previous initiatives have failed due to government agendas and lack of funding, it is paramount that this work is data-driven and done in partnership with provincial and municipal governments, but without interference from any governments, including law enforcement or the wider justice system. The independent agency must receive adequate, ongoing funding (separate from Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy budget), in order to collect data as trends evolve over time, and a comprehensive understanding of anti-racism pedagogy.
- Open for signature
- July 18, 2023, at 9:56 a.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- November 15, 2023, at 9:56 a.m. (EDT)
