Fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

● Title of the side event: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Human Rights for People of African Descent: a time to refocus.

● Date, time and time zone of side event: April 10 at 12pm ET

● Sponsoring organization(s) or entity/ies: Diversity Institute

● Language(s) in which the side event will be held: Mainly in English (some questions will be answered in French.)

● Description of the side event
The side event will delve into the need to evaluate the impact of the crusade against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies. The murder of George Floyd added impetus to DEI and inclusion efforts worldwide and a more specific focus on anti Black racism. However, the adaptability of capital and the changing tides of public opinion are revealing the potential fragility of the DEI approach. Is the DEI approach still the right way to recognize the lasting and structural harms of systemic and intersectional racism? Does a human rights framework could effectively replace the DEI infrastructure in organizations that embrace it?

Speakers:
● Dr. Wendy Cukier, Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute, TMU
● Tamara Thermitus, Visiting Scholar, McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism
● Dr. Rhonda N. McEwen, President and Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto.
● Moderated by: Dr. Susan Swayze, Associate Professor, Educational Research, The George Washington University

●Link to connect: https://torontomu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nwUe5nv5SlqTxGnEZenxng#/registration


● Name and email address of the lead organizer (and permission to publish the lead organizer’s contact details): Nancy Mitchell, Diversity Institute, n.mitchell@torontomu.ca