WATCH: Cities across Canada are diverse, but are they inclusive?
In November 2018, Senator Omidvar joined a panel at Evergreen's Future Cities Canada Summit to discuss inclusive, sustainable and just cities.
Diversity in Leadership
OPINION: Multiculturalism doesn’t divide. It encourages belonging
If Mr. Bernier intends to attack Canadian multiculturalism, his opponents will include Canadians from every corner of the globe, and plenty of Canadians whose families have been here for generations. In other words, they’ll look a lot like Canada.
An Apology for Multiculturalism
"Not long ago we assumed globalization, with its intensity of interactions, would breed tolerance for others. Instead, we must fight for that ideal, even if flawed, now more than ever."
Can we avoid bias in hiring practices?
A recent report from Ottawa’s Name-Blind Recruitment Pilot Project reveals that there are still many challenges in developing hiring practices that avoid bias.
OPINION: Senate administration’s efforts on diversity should be applauded
“The Senate’s lack of diversity is so glaring and so problematic to the future of our institution that it heightens the desire of many Canadians to have our Upper Chamber abolished because it is irrelevant and unrepresentative of Canada’s cultural mosaic,” - Hon. Donald Oliver
Improve, then use, name-blind recruitment to boost Senate staff diversity: committee
"A name-blind recruitment project could help improve Senate staff diversity, but only if done properly, according to the head of a Senate group studying employment equity in the Upper Chamber’s administration."
Ratna Omidvar’s Address to Students of Ryerson University
In June 2018, Ryerson University’s Chang School for Continuing Education awarded the Honourable Ratna Omidvar with an Honorary Doctor of Laws. Below you will find an excerpt from her address to students along with a tribute video the university made …
WATCH: Canada’s Investment in Newcomer Integration
"If there is one significant takeaway from the work currently underway in the United Kingdom and the ongoing efforts in my country, it is this: public trust in immigration systems are greatly determined by the ability of government to translate and communicate national interest into benefits that can be experienced and shared at the local level."
Ideas on diversity and action for 2018
Last Wednesday, March 14th, the UTM political science department hosted a lecture titled “Diversity 2018 and Beyond: Five Big Ideas on Diversity and Inclusion” as part of its third annual public affairs lecture. This lecture invited senator Ratna Omidvar to share her personal story and how it influenced her work on diversity and inclusion as a lawmaker in Canada.
OPINION: What Oscar-winner Frances McDormand can teach corporate Canada
The point to glean is this: in hauling the Act into the modern era a group of senators supported the view that publicly traded corporations be compelled to set internal targets to boost diversity, the very ethos of the governing Liberals. The Senate voted against the amendment, 37 to 30, in third reading last Wednesday.