Mar 16, 2012 | Leaders in Action, What's New at DiverseCity

by Tina Edan, Maytree

Leader is a title.
Leadership is an action.
An action that requires individuals to deal with real situations, show courage and take risks.

A few things we know:

• Our national birth rate is declining.
• Most of our immigration comes from non-European source countries.
• By 2031, visible minorities will be the visible majority in the Greater Toronto Area.
• This visible majority is not reflected in positions of power and influence. (We counted.)

Recognizing the context and the demographic trends, Ratna Omidvar, President of Maytree, along with the late David Pecaut, chair of the Toronto City Summit Alliance (now CivicAction) also recognized an opportunity. Together, they developed a suite of initiatives to address the lack of diverse leaders on boards, in public office and in the media. This was the start of DiverseCity: The Greater Toronto Leadership Project.

DiverseCity initiatives create opportunities for leaders to exercise their leadership.

Here’s how…

DiverseCity Voices
A counselor at the Schlifer Clinic, Voices participant Farrah Khan was identified by the Toronto Star as one of the 2011 People to Watch. She appears regularly in media, discussing issues like domestic violence and, most recently, a lift on the ban on Muslim women soccer players wearing hijabs in international matches, a cause she’s championed through the group Right2Wear.

DiverseCity Fellows

2010 DiverseCity Fellow Gabrielle Scrimshaw headed a city building action project that led to the creation of the Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada. The association’s vision is to foster and showcase world class leadership within the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Building Blocks

Rezwanul Karim is one of 29 community leaders who have been trained by Building Blocks to train residents on how government decision-making works and how to impact those decisions. At the end of this year, close to 900 leaders will be equipped and motivated to help make social change happen where they live.  Find out more.

DiverseCity onBoard

Danny Ankle (Executive Director, Dovercourt Boys & Girls Club) is serving his second term on the Ontario College of Teachers board. For him, being a member of the DiverseCity onBoard roster has been of tremendous benefit. Find out why.

Interested in leadership opportunities?

Apply for DiverseCity Voices or onBoard today.