Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition
A coalition of organizations and individuals working to address racism and hate in the community by promoting diversity, human rights and dignity.About Us
The Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition (FVHDC) is a collective of diverse organizations, advocates, community groups, and individuals who work to address issues of racism and hate in the community by promoting the values of diversity, human rights and dignity.
The coalition advances community partnerships, supports victims of hate and bigotry, and fosters community engagement through providing citizens with public awareness and educational opportunities. We advocate for equity, justice, and inclusion for all.
FVHDC is supported by the Province of British Columbia through the Organizing Against Racism and Hate (ORAH) grant and is brought together by Archway Community Services.
History
The Diversity Education and Resource Services Program at Archway has a long history of cross-cultural, diversity and human rights education, and awareness initiatives in the community.
In 1999 the Diversity Education Program received funding through National Crime Prevention to establish a community response team against hate and discrimination. The team, comprised of community members and key stakeholders, took on the name Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition (FVHDC). In the pursuit of social justice and equity, the Coalition promotes the values of human rights and dignities and a safe and healthy community for all.
Mandate
The Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition’s (FVHDC) mandate is to promote the rights and dignities of all community members. As a Coalition of community partners, we believe every person has the right to be treated with dignity, respect, fairness and compassion. The Coalition’s underlying premise is that all members of the human family live without fear of discrimination, intimidation and violence due to race, ethnicity, class, gender, family status, sexual orientation, religion, mental and physical ability, age or political beliefs.
Goals
- Promote the value of diversity, human rights and dignities
- Bring community awareness to incidents of discrimination and hate crimes
- Respond to issues and concerns related to human dignity in the community as needed
- Bring community awareness to resources available to victims of hate-motivated crimes and discrimination
Our Members
The Fraser Valley Human Dignity Coalition members represent various organizations in different sectors across the Fraser Valley including the Abbotsford Police Department, the Archway Community Services (Multicultural Department), Abbotsford School District 34, University of the Fraser Valley, UFV Race and Antiracism Network, Abbotsford Youth Commission, Abbotsford Interfaith Movement, UFV Amnesty and several other human rights groups and community members.
Our coalition is brought together by the Archway Diversity Education Department.
Membership Policy
Coalition membership is open to all residents and organizations in the Fraser Valley. All new Coalition members are required to agree to and sign a Code of Ethics Form to ensure a confidential and safe forum for community dialogue and action. If a member breaks the Code of Ethics, they will be asked to meet with the involved parties to resolve the issue. If the issue is not resolved, the member may be asked to relinquish their membership. A person who has relinquished their membership may still be invited to community events supported by the Coalition. For more information on membership, please contact us through email or phone us at 604.859.7681 Ext: 270.
Attend a Meeting
The FVHDC meets four times per year. These meetings are usually held on evenings during weekdays and are open to the public. Please contact us to RSVP for the next meeting.
Meetings include:
- Incident reports from the community are presented by the Diversity Education staff and the coalition discusses possible next steps of response.
- The coalition discusses recent community issues to do with discrimination and works collaboratively to design programs, projects and events to promote inclusion and harmony in our community.
- Different local organizations and groups give presentations on issues relating to racism and other forms of discrimination witnessed within their own smaller communities.
- Refreshments are provided.
Sign up for Our Newsletter
Learn about events, training opportunities and resources.
In Partnership with:
We want to acknowledge that we gather on the traditional unceded territory of the Stō:ló people. Stō:ló territory extends from the mouth of the Fraser River to Boston Bar. Locally, this includes the Máthexwi First Nation and Semá:th First Nation. We give them thanks for sharing their land and resources with us.
Report an Incident
Have you been a target of racism and/or other forms of discrimination? Have you witnessed any discriminatory activity? We can help direct you to support and resources available in the community.
You will have the option of filling a report to the Government of BC. This report will be prepared by the Diversity Education staff and presented at our FVHDC meeting – you will remain anonymous.
Most racist and discriminatory activities are not recorded and this lack of data unfortunately, leads to problems being unidentified and solutions not being actively sought after in the government level. Help us change this.
Racist Incident Helpline
United Way BC and the Government of British Columbia are proud to announce the launch of the Racist Incident Helpline – a culturally safe and trauma-informed resource for people who have experienced or witnessed an act of racism. The helpline provides access to information and safe supports from anywhere in BC, in over 240 languages.
The Racist Incident Helpline was developed by the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch of the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General, in partnership with United Way British Columbia, and works with specialized community organizations throughout BC such as Archway Community Services.
The anonymized data collected from the service will be used alongside insights gathered from other Government of British Columbia anti-racism initiatives to support, guide and enhance the province’s anti-racism programs, services and initiatives.
If you would like more information, or would like to access support from the hotline, you may connect to their website Racist Incident Helpline
