I am pleased to announce that the Equity & Inclusion Office has now released three, new anti-discrimination educational resource modules. These are:
- Introduction to UBC’s Human Rights Obligations and Discrimination Policy
- Introduction to Anti-Jewish Discrimination
- Introduction to Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Discrimination
The Introduction to UBC’s Human Rights Obligations and Discrimination Policy is a pre-requisite learning module to be engaged with prior to the other complementary modules. The resources are part of a forthcoming and expansive Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Learning Foundations series.
Through 2024, the EIO made progress to expand its online educational resource hub to raise awareness around a range of equity and inclusion topics. The booklets released today include information on the legal framework that guides university processes to address discrimination, on what constitutes anti-Jewish, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim discrimination and hate, on examples of myths and stereotypes that contribute to discriminatory tropes about Jewish, Arab and Muslim people, on harmful intergroup and intragroup dynamics, and on considerations to uphold both obligations to academic freedom and anti-discrimination in the academy.
During the development of the resources, I engaged a deeply relational and dialogic process and met regularly with Jewish, Arab and Muslim students, faculty and staff, including those who are involved with relevant community groups active on our campus. I’m grateful to those who participated in the year-long engagement process, and am hopeful that the resources will help UBC community members and university leaders continue to foster a campus culture where everyone feels a sense of inclusion, belonging and safety.
While there are other educational resources available on these topics, these modules are designed to provide a foundation for our community to understand and address discrimination in the UBC context. The content is grounded in the Canadian human rights legal framework, the B.C. Human Rights Code, UBC’s policies, and the EIO’s mandate. The resources also reflect the EIO’s critically-oriented, intersectional, trauma-informed and multipartial practice.
For assistance on how to use these educational resources for broader learning opportunities, please submit a consultation request with our office. For concerns about possible experiences of discrimination, please submit a human rights advising request.
Arig al Shaibah, Ph.D.
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion