Select Page

Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POLICY

Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group (TASG), as an organization recognizes the historical and ongoing impacts of racism, sexism, religious intolerance, and oppression in our world, country and institutions.

We acknowledge we have room to grow as an organization and as individuals in our understanding of systemic injustice, racism, sexism, religious intolerance and other oppressions. We commit to ongoing alignment of our policies and practices to advance equity, inclusion, and freedom of expression for all involved or participating in our operations and programs. 

We will continue to be open to a continual non-partisan internal examination. We will advance kindness and neutrality for all positions, including leadership roles, regardless of racial, social, cultural, gender orientation or identification differences, racial equity, age, disability, country of origin or religious beliefs.

We commit to a non-partisan ongoing alignment and review of our policies and practices to advance racial equity, inclusion and freedom of expression for all involved or participating in our operations and programs.

TASG envisions an environment where each person can participate, prosper and have access to our programs and dialog in supporting our mission with integrity and compassion.

With this understanding, we resolve to listen, include, and respond where bias and inequalities appear. We will confront oppression by developing solutions while honoring a diversity of needs valuing all. 

To ensure our own accountability, we will utilize our “Equity Lens” to guide our decision­ making. We will seek relationships with organizations and individuals as our partners and affiliates for accountability to our diversity, equity and inclusion commitments.

TASG EQUITY LENS

ASSUMPTIONS AND OUTCOMES

  • What assumptions are we bringing to the issue?
  • What are the outcomes we hope to create?
  • How will these outcomes increase or decrease racial and other forms of equity?
  • What is non-negotiable?

ENGAGE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

  • How are we intentionally engaging multiple perspectives?
  • How are we engaging stakeholders who will be impacted by this policy, decision, or practice?

ATTEND TO UNITENDED OUTCOMES

  • Are there any potential unintended outcomes? If so, how will they be addressed?
  • Are there any potential unintended barriers? If so, how will they be addressed?

COMMUNICATE

  • How will the decision process be communicated in an inclusive, culturally sensitive and responsible manner?
  • By whom, how and when will the process be communicated?

EVALUATE

  • How will feedback from all involved be collected?
  • How and with whom will these evaluations be shared?
  • What was learned and incorporated from the experience?
  • How will the evaluation process and learning potentially raise racial awareness?

Now, therefore, the Toronto Awakenings Sharing Group Co-leaders hereby resolve that the organization will develop, support and ensure that diversity, equality and inclusion will be a priority and applicable to all organizational matters.

Yvonne Kason MD, TASG Co-leader
Monica Maurin, TASG Co-leader
Shira Taylor MD, TASG Co-leader

June 25, 2020