Join us online Dec. 7, 4:30pm

Challenging the Norms:
Antisemitism in Education Today

We have assembled a diverse panel
to answer your questions

MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER

Our Vision: Completely inclusive Social Justice Education such that no learner, educator, family, caregiver or community member is silenced or marginalized.

Conference Dec. 5

Stop the Hate—Start the Dialogue

Strategies to Decrease Polarization in Education and the Workplace

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024—9:00am-4:00pm ET

Central Toronto Location

Registrants will be informed after they purchase tickets

This timely one-day symposium will open with dynamic keynote speakers who will focus on human rights and the polarization in today’s human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion spaces.

A dynamic closing plenary session will allow participants to share ideas and recommendations gleaned from the workshops and hear further strategies for building allies and modeling respectful dialogue.

Programme and Schedule

9:00am-9:30am

Registration, light breakfast, displays and networking

9:30am-10:0am

Welcome, Introduction, and Land Acknowledgement—Chris D’Sousa, Leslie Wolfe

10:00am-11:00am

Issues in DEI Work Today

Perspectives on How to Stop the Hate and Start the Conversation

Moderator: Indira Naidoo-Harris
Speakers:
Harry LaForme
Mark Sandler
Hamlin Grange
Rabia Khedr

11:00am-11:15am

Break

11:15pm-12:30pm

Morning Breakout Sessions: Addressing Issues and Challenges

Registered participants will be able to select from one of four workshops

  1. Bridging Divides—Guiding Brave Conversations
    A. Harmony Movement—Classroom Issues
    B. DiversiPro—Workplace Issues
  2. What is Hate and What isn’t Hate and How Do We Counter It?
  3. Arab/Jewish, Muslim/Jewish Relations: Debate or Dialogue?
  4. Exploring Ethnic Diversity and Intersectionality—No Silence on Race

12:30pm-1:30pm

Lunch, Resource Displays, and Networking

Lunch will be provided, please include dietary restrictions when registering.

1:30pm-2:45pm

Afternoon Breakout Sessions: From Issues to Action

Registered participants will be able to select from one of four workshops

  1. Union Duty of Fair Representation in Difficult Geopolitical Times
  2. The Key Role of the Administrator—What You Need to Know and Do to Manage Conflict
  3. Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake—Tools for Classrooms
  4. Facing History and Ourselves—An Inclusive Approach to Countering Antisemitism

3:00pm-4:15pm

Closing Plenary
Moving Forward, Building Bridges and Strengthening Alliances

Moderator: Matthew “Testament” Jones, Ontario’s Poet Laureate
Speakers:
Angela Morenos
Mohammad Rasoul Kailani`
Alex Rose


Speakers and Panelists

Lois Agard

Coordinating Superintendent, Education, Equity, ISCS, Research & Assessment Services at York Region District School Board

The Key Role of the Administrator – What you need to know and do

Akilah Allen-Silverstein

Co-founder of No Silence on Race, a not-for-profit dedicated to building inclusive Jewish spaces in Canada

Exploring Ethnic Diversity and Intersectionality—No Silence on Race

Shafiq Aziz

Director of Programs, Harmony Movement

Bridging Divides—Guiding Classroom Conversations on Global Conflict with Empathy and Respect

Chris D’Souza

Teacher, equity and anti-oppression activist

Welcome, Introduction and Land Acknowledgement

Aneta Fishman

Principal, York Region District School Board, former Human Rights and Equity Education Principal

The Key Role of the Administrator – What you need to know and do.

Howard Goldblatt

Leading labour law practitioner representing trade unions and their members

Union Duty of Fair Representation in Difficult Geopolitical Times

Hamlin Grange

Diversity and inclusion strategist, Founder/President/CEO of DiversiPro Inc., journalist and broadcaster

Keynote Panel—Issues and Challenges in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Matthew-Ray “Testament” Jones

Host, workshop facilitator, artist and educator. He is Ontario’s new Poet Laureate.

Moving Forward, Building Bridges and Strengthening Alliances

Mohammad Rasoul Kailani

Jordanian-Canadian student at the University of Toronto and fourth-year specialist in the Peace, Conflict and Justice program.

Moving Forward, Building Bridges and Strengthening Alliances

Ahmed Khalifa

Principal Architect of the API gateway and marketplace at Telus. Active in Arab/Jewish Dialogue and on the Advisory Committee for Heart to Heart, a Canadian program creating a safe space for Jewish and Palestinian teenagers to share their hearts and minds.

Arab/Jewish and Muslim/Jewish Relations- Dialogue or Debate ?

Saleha Khan

Change agent; executive coach; leader-developer; intercultural communication expert; community engagement facilitator

What is hate and what isn’t hate…AND How do we counter it?

Rabia Khedr

Principal of diversityworX. Former Ontario Human Rights Commissioner social entrepreneur. Member of Minister’s Disability Advisory Group: National Director of Disability Without Poverty and CEO of DEEN Support Services.

Keynote Panel—Issues and Challenges in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Raja Khouri

Former Ontario Human Rights Commissioner. Co-founder of the Canadian Arab-Jewish Leadership Dialogue. Host of Khouri Conversation.

Arab/Jewish and Muslim/Jewish Relations- Dialogue or Debate ?

Harry S. LaForme

Former judge on the Superior Court of Justice, Ontario and first indigenous person to be appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal..

Keynote Panel—Issues and Challenges in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Jesse Levy

Educator and Toronto-based performer with a specialization in Musical Theatre.

Exploring Ethnic Diversity and Intersectionality—No Silence on Race

Inbal Marcovitch

A multidisciplinary economist, social entrepreneur and public servant who leverages the power of research, innovation, and collaboration to create positive impact to support the well-being of Canadians. She remains active in Arab/Jewish, Israeli/Arab dialogue and peace programs.

Arab/Jewish and Muslim/Jewish Relations- Dialogue or Debate ?

Angela Marinos

Chief General Counsel, The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights

Strengthening Allyship!

Karen Mock

Human rights consultant, psychologist and teacher educator. Acting Chair of Enhancing Social Justice Education.

Symposium Coordinator

Elizabeth Moore

Speaker, writer, and educator on racist extremism and EDI writer/researcher

What is hate and what isn’t hate…AND How do we counter it?

Indira Naidoo-Harris

Associate Vice-President of Diversity and Human Rights at the University of Guelph; Former Ontario Minister of Education.

Keynote Panel—Issues and Challenges in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Barb Perry

Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. UNESCO Chair in Hate Studies, Associate Professor and leading author the subjects.

What is hate and what isn’t hate…AND How do we counter it?

Jordan Rappaport

Equity and Inclusive Education Consultant, York Region Board of Education.

Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake – Practical Tools for the Classroom

Alex Rose

1st-year PhD student in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto, and a member of Bridging the Gap

Moving Forward, Building Bridges and Strengthening Alliances

Mark Sandler

One of Canada’s leading criminal defence lawyers, human right advocate, and current chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism.

Keynote Panel—Issues and Challenges in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Leora Schaefer

Executive Director at Facing History and Ourselves, Canada

Facing History and Ourselves—An Inclusive Approach to Countering Antisemitism

Randal Schnoor

Religious Studies and Jewish Studies professor at York University. Advisor to Bridging the Gap, (Jewish-Arab, Israel-Palestine Dialogue Group).

Arab/Jewish and Muslim/Jewish Relations- Dialogue or Debate ?

Larry Swartz

Instructor in literacy and dramatic arts, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, with a focus on using children’s literature to help young people grow and how teachers can address tough topics..

Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake – Practical Tools for the Classroom

Irfan Toor

Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Ontario Principals’ Council

The Key Role of the Administrator—What You Need to Know and Do to Manage Conflict

Susan Ursel

Senior lawyer in the public sector and public sector trade unions and associations with a focus on labour board matters, pay equity, human rights, judicial reviews and appellate litigation.

Union Duty of Fair Representation in Difficult Geopolitical Times

Leslie Wolfe

Educator and human right advocate; Past president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, Toronto District

Opening Plenary and Union Duty of Fair Representation in Difficult Geopolitical Times

Sara Yacobi-Harris

Director of content and programming at No Silence on Race. Director, producer and co-writer of the multimedia project, Periphery.

Exploring Ethnic Diversity and Intersectionality—No Silence on Race


About the Conference

This timely one-day symposium will open with dynamic keynote speakers focusing on human rights and the polarization in today’s human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion spaces.

A diverse plenary panel of recognized experts will provide an overview of current challenges facing our target audience: anti-racist, anti-oppression, diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners, as well as managers, union officials and administrators in educational settings and public and private sector workplaces. The focus will be on human rights principles, systemic oppression, and the intersection of oppressions, and on best practices to reduce polarization of conversations concerning today’s international conflicts and their fallout in Canada today.

Participants will choose from a number of practical workshops in the morning and afternoon, relevant to their specific sectors. Workshop facilitators will create safe spaces within which frank discussion can occur, and will model strategies and skills used to reduce polarization, as well as provide practical resources for countering hate and extremism.

A dynamic closing plenary session will allow for sharing of ideas and recommendations emanating from the workshops, as well as hearing further strategies to build allies and model respectful dialogue.

Participants will come from the education sector, other public sector agencies (eg law enforcement, health care), human rights organizations, or workplaces where they wish to share concerns and improve morale and productivity by addressing polarization in discussions about current human rights issues. We expect all participants to come away with a deeper understanding that all equity-seeking identities must be affirmed and that countering all forms of racism and discrimination (including antisemitism and Islamophobia) must be addressed in any anti-racism, anti-oppression, diversity, equity and inclusion framework. They will also glean effective strategies to ensure respectful dialogue and reduce polarization during difficult conversations. Finally, they will come away with more allies and practical skills, resources, plans, and recommendations to implement in their workplaces and communities.

Registration includes light breakfast and lunch, and a complimentary copy of the book Stop the Hate for Goodness Sake.

For more information please contact info@esjeducation.ca


Enhancing Social Justice Education Group

What we believe:

  • Human rights, anti-racism and anti-oppression principles are the foundation of Equity Diversity and Inclusion programs that must be extended to all identifiable groups in accordance with Canadian human rights codes, laws and values;
  • Today’s increasing polarization can and should be addressed by enhancing social justice education to ensure it is completely inclusive;
  • Training on how to have difficult conversations in order to decrease divisiveness and politicization in workplaces and classrooms is essential.

What we do: 

  • Provide educational programs and resources for all staff and students at all levels of the education system, and for any interested organizations or workplaces in the public or private sector; 
  • Adhere to inclusive anti-racist, anti-oppression, diversity, equity and inclusive education principles; and 
  • Pay careful attention to systemic oppression, to the intersection of oppressions and to human rights principles.

Join our mailing list

* indicates required