RECONCILIATION: MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER - TRANSFORMING ORGANIZATION CULTURE PAGE 61
“ I think it’s a very collaborative environment. I come from lived experience and there’s not always spaces where I feel like sharing that; but here, they’ve really created space where everyone’s voices are heard – BC Housing Board Member In the past, Board members have participated in training and worked with external consultants to identify ways to foster a culture of equity and respect. They recently implemented a practice of giving land acknowledgements at the beginning of meetings. Several people emphasized that there is a high level of respect and diversity around the table. Although Board members come from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences, they noted that they share a common set of values that includes respect, honesty, and accountability.
“Anti-racism and decolonization are big topics, and I am very interested to see how we can move forward with a Reconciliation Strategy under a government that was set up in colonization. – BC Housing Board Member
5.3.2.2 What Can the Board be Doing? With respect to how the Board might improve their understanding and application of equitable, decolonized and culturally sensitive practices, we heard that Board members might benefit from more education and engagement on topics such as reconciliation, UNDRIP, TRC’s Calls to Action, and power dynamics. Some respondents suggested incorporating time into Board meetings specifically for these agenda items.
Why This Is Important Expressing a willingness to learn more about creating and
following equitable and decolonized practices is important to developing
knowledge about reconciliation and how we can support this process on an individual and organizational level.
“We haven’t really addressed decolonization and anti-racism in our work specifically. We’ve started to talk about our relationships, which gets at that, but there’s lots of opportunity. – BC Housing Board Member
Importantly, members also identified the need for BC Housing to address any existing power imbalances within its relationships with Indigenous Nations, communities, and organizations. Specifically, we heard that BC Housing needs to examine its Indigenous partnerships with organizations to ensure that there is no paternalism there. One Board member emphasized that equity should be reflected through the outcomes of the organization’s policies and practices. For example, BC Housing’s commitment to equity in its hiring practices should be clearly demonstrated by the number of Indigenous and racialized staff employed by the organization.
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