South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services is excited to announce an upcoming free community event - Anti-racism Forum "Confronting the White Elephant" on Friday, May 12th, 2023 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
The forum aims to address issues of systemic racism in our communities and promote solutions for a more equitable and inclusive society.
Opportunity to hear from experts and community leaders
The event will feature a diverse panel of experts and leaders who will share their experiences and insights on confronting and addressing racism in our communities.
“We believe that it is important to bring our community together to have open and honest conversations about racism in our region, learn about the history of racism, how to recognize and divert online hate, how to engage youth in anti-racism work, how to address racism at the workplace, and what actions we can take to become anti-racist”, shares Cherry Fernandes, the Executive Director of SOICS.
"We invite everyone to join us for these important conversations," said Fernandez. "There is more that unites us, than what divides us. Together, we can stand up against racism and discrimination to build a community that is more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable.”
Meaning behind the name Confronting the White Elephant
Historically, in the East, a gift of a white elephant from the king was a sacred blessing that could not be refused - but in that blessing lay a hidden curse. The upkeep for the elephant was so costly that it would eventually bankrupt its owner.
In the West the term “White Elephant” came to mean an expensive burden, something that fails to meet expectations, despite exacting higher and higher costs. In a very real sense, the colonial concept of white supremacy and the racism it fosters, can be seen as the White Elephant.
Like a White Elephant, racism and doctrines of white supremacy are extremely costly to our society. The longer we hold on to these concepts, the longer we wait to confront the White Elephant of racism and white supremacy in our communities, the more we all stand to lose.
Confront the White Elephant. Join us for conversations about racism and actions we can take to become an anti-racism community.
The forum will take place at the Penticton Lakeside Resort from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. This event is free to attend. Please register online through the SOICS website at https://www.soics.ca/anti-racism/white-elephant/.