Meeting Minutes Draft - Mar 21, 2016

Agenda draft - SPC Monthly Meeting

Mar 21, 2016 - 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Location: Central Cariboo Arts & Culture Society

In attendance (from sign-in sheet): Mary Thomas, Marilyn Livingston, Sharon Taylor, Geoge Atamanenko, Bruce Mack and Jessica Knodel.

Accept Minutes & Agenda

During lunch we:
· Reviewed meeting minutes from Feb 29, 2016
Motion to accept the minutes as presented - MFSC

· Review meeting agenda for Mar 21, 2016
Motion to accept the agenda as presented - MFSC

"Dirty Laundry Campaign" Presentation 

Presentation by Margaret Anne Enders, and Marilyn Livingston from the Canadian Mental Health Association on the "Dirty Laundry Campaign" a project from the of the Racism Awareness Network table:
Introduction - Multiculturalism program. Celebrate, but we have heard that racism is very prevalent (e.g. mining decisions)
Opportunities for change, this has been embraced and supported.
Every couple of weeks, highlight one assumption or experience (as found on t-shirts). 

Launch Poster - new pictures can replace each time a new one comes out. Mary Thomas was first feature story (and is here with us today).
The technology portion is appreciated. Can go worldwide with hash tags, use of Instagram and other tech services.
The Tribune was very supportive, and is giving a dedicated full page to this campaign.
Margaret-Anne - Funding has enabled planned workshops for grade sevens (via Peernet).
This campaign, is to normalize the conversation. Not to make it ok, but to make it normal to talk about.

Mary - lots of comments on facebook, people mention the picture in the paper, and then they got to speak with girls group and had a great deep discussion.
Someone needs to finally say... it's NOT ok to talk bad (e.g. speakout williams lake group is negative).
A campaign like this cannot change people who don't want to change. But if it gives people who normally remain silent to speak a voice.
Bruce - What I like about this campaign, it broadens the perspective of what is racism (e.g. pre pay for food not a normal practice anymore), but what impresses me the most, this campaign touches upon other ways racism takes place. At the educational level this is spoken about too (e.g. two C students - pat on the back vs kick in the butt). Expectations on people are hurtful (e.g. that is racism)
T-shirts:
I am not a statistic,
People think I am on welfare,
I get stopped by police more often,
Don't be surprised when I am successful,
People think I get a free ride
I was expected to succeed
The school system was not designed for me
Participants were then asked to choose a t-shirt, then think about how it would feel to wear it all day long. The following questions were proposed in a roundtable fashion:
· How would daily life be different?
· What tasks would be affected?
· How would this reality affect how you move around your community?
· How would it affect how you interact with your children? Your coworkers? Your friends? Your doctor (the health system)? People in government? Authority figures? Strangers?
· How would this affect you emotionally? Where would you find support? Where would you find power?
Open Discussion Open discussion period.

Roundtable Updates
There was not enough people to have this as a free standing agenda item.

Meeting was then adjourned - the next SPC meeting is scheduled for Monday Apr 25, 2016, location TBA