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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-24-24 Correspondence - Strong Cities Network - Invitation to Preventing Hate & Building Social Cohesion Amid Global Crises Strong Cities FOUNDATION Network FOR A PATH FORWARD North America Regional Hub INVITATION Preventing Hate & Building Social Cohesion Amid Global Crises Unleashing the Potential of Cities in Western Canada & the Western United States Victoria, British Columbia, Canada October 30 — 31, 2024 Dear Esteemed Colleagues, The Strong Cities Network(Strong Cities), the Foundation for a Path Forward (F4PF), and the City ot Victoria, ri is o umbia (Canada) are delighted to invite you to par icipate in a con erence on 71reventing Hate & Building Social Cohesion Among Global Crisis: Unleashing the Potential of Cities in Western Canada and the Western United States". The event will take place in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 30—31 October 2024, immediately following the 2024 Community Safety and Wellbeing Conference, organized by the City. The October 30-31 event will build on the first-ever conference focused on enhancing the role of Canadian cities in preventing hate and maintaining social cohesion amid global crises, which Strong Cities and F4PF organized in Montreal as part of Public Safety Canada's CVE Mega- Week in May 2024, with support from Public Safety Canada and Canadian Heritage. It will bring together a range of local stakeholders for a series of mayoral conversations, plenary sessions and smaller, inter-active breakout sessions to discuss how these threats and challenges are manifesting in their communities; share city-led approaches to preventing and responding them, which could be replicated in other cities; and explore ways to enhance cross-border cooperation and collaboration. Special attention will be paid to both shared borders in western North America, i.e., the north-south (e.g., Washington-British Columbia) and east-west (Alaska-Yukon Territory) borders. The accompanying concept note and draft agenda provide further information about the event which will commence at 12 noon on October 301h and conclude by 6pm on October 31 St: a draft agenda will soon follow. BRITISH Intentional Transformation COLUMBIA R,imagW,g Inclusive Community Safety and W,Ilb,7,g CONFERF NCE EOl Copyright©Institute for Strategic Dialogue(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue(ISD),a company limited by guarantee, registered office address PO Box 75769,London,SW1P 9ER.ISD is registered in England with company registration number 06581421 and registered charity number 1141069.All Rights Reserved Strong Cities FOUNDATION Network FOR A PATH FORWARD North America Regional Hub Registration As space is limited, we encourage you to register for the conference as soon as possible, via the online registration form here. You must register at this link to confirm your attendance and provide information essential for the event's organization. In addition, although funding is limited, should you require travel and/or other logistical support to attend, please indicate this in the registration form. Please be aware that we may be unable to accommodate all requests. For participants who are self-funding, once we receive your registration, we will send you a logistical note with hotels in which we have reserved rooms for a special rate within walking distance of the main meeting venue. For any questions, please contact Caroline Wade, North America Coordinator, Strong Cities Network(cw(a�strongcitiesnetwork.org). Sincerely, Marianne Alto Eric Rosand Tariq Tyab Mayor Executive Director Executive Director Victoria, British Columbia Strong Cities Network Foundation for a Path Forward BRITISH Intentional Transformation COLUM BIA Rei—gining Indusrve Community Safety and Wellbeing CONFERENCE 2024 Copyright©Institute for Strategic Dialogue(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue(ISD),a company limited by guarantee, registered office address PO Box 75769,London,SW1P 9ER.ISD is registered in England with company registration number 06581421 and registered charity number 1141069.All Rights Reserved FOUNDATION Network• • FOR A PATH FORWARD Registration Instructions 1 . Please fill out the registration form at: https://shorturl.at/UC6H4 2. Or use the following QR code to go to the registration page: My ■ J j 3. For any questions or request for support please contactCaroline Wade, North America Coordinator, Strong Cities Network (cw(a-strongcities network.orq) Strong Cities FOUNDATION FOR A PATH Network FORWARD North America Regional Hub DRAFT AGENDA Preventing Hate & Building Social Cohesion Amid Global Crises Unleashing the Potential of Cities in Western Canada & the Western United States A Strong Cities-North America Initiative Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 30— 31 October 2024 Wednesday, 30 October 12:00—13:00 Registration and Lunch 13:00— 13:15 Welcome Remarks & Introduction to Strong Cities 13:15— 13:30 Opening Remarks 13:30— 14:00 Session 1: Setting the Stage—Hate, Extremism and Social Polarisation in Times of Global Crisis Online and offline hate, mis4disinformation and other threats to social cohesion affecting western Canadian and American cities(urban and rural): the view from researchers/non-government experts, with particular attention being paid to similarities/differences between threat environment in these two countries and between cities in the west vs. the rest in each country. 14:00— 14:55 Session 2: Conversation with Local Leaders—The State of Hate Extremism and Social Polarisation in Western Canadian and American Cities (followed by Q&A) Mayors and other local leaders from western Canadian and American municipalities will share their perspectives on the threats in their communities, including reflecting on the impact that global crises such as conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, migration, climate and rising levels of hate and disinformation. 14:55— 15:15 Coffee Break 15:15— 16:10 Breakout Group 1: Reflecting on the Local Impacts of Global Challenges in Practice In mixed groups including different sectors, levels and locations, participants will reflect on the information shared by experts and local leaders to explore how these challenges are manifesting in their own cities—both on-and off-line. II B Il ISH Intentional Transformation COLUMBIA „,.. .... S •:: Copyright©ISD(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by ISD.ISD US is a non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3)status registered in the District of Columbia with tax identification number 27-1282489. Strong Cities FOUNDATION FOR A PATH Network FORWARD North America Regional Hub 16:10— 16:40 Practice Spotlight: A Community Well-Being Approach to Preventing Hate--The Victoria Model (followed by Q&A) 16:40— 17:35 Session 4: City-Led Innovations and Solutions—Maintaining Social Cohesion in Times of Global Crisis Local officials and leaders will address how they are navigating these threats in their cities, which are increasingly undermining community cohesion and targeting the leaders themselves,while safeguarding the human rights of all residents. They will share innovations, good practices, challenges, and lessons learned on topics such as: • modes/data for understanding community concerns tackling mis/disinformation and conspiracy narratives at the local level • building trust in local government • protecting elected officials and city workers • reaching "hard to reach"communities • operationalising multi-actor cooperation, including police- health/social worker collaboration 17:35— 17:45 Wrap-Up/Conclusions—Day 1 Thursday, 31 October 08:40—09:00 Keynotes: Preventing Hate, Extremism and Social Polarisation in Cities in Western Canada/United States—The View from Ottawa and Washington. Senior officials from the Centre for Community Engagement and the Prevention of Violence in Canada Public Safety and the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships in the US Department of Homeland Security will speak about the ways in which federal prevention policies and programs take into account the priorities and concerns and support the needs of western municipalities in their respective countries. 09:00—09:50 Session 5: The View from Small/Rural/Remote Municipalities This session will focus on the role and specific needs of smaller municipalities and local governments in rural areas, which are often left behind when it comes to prevention infrastructure, programmatic funding, expertise, and attention from the central government despite often facing an equally serious on-and off-line threat environment. 09:50— 10:20 Innovation Spotlight(followed by Q&A): The City of Edmonton will update participants on an Edmonton-Strong Cities initiative to develop an early warning hate-monitoring system as part of the implementation of the City's anti-racism strategy and share lessons learned for other cities as they look to strengthen existing or develop new hate/extremism prevention mechanisms and capabilities. BRITISH � �. C O LUM BI A Intentional Transformation n•n.h,.i:q inri..uw<wnm.n.y salrYaM VheMiny Copyright©ISD(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by ISD.ISD US is a non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3)status registered in the District of Columbia with tax identification number 27-1282489. Strong Cities FOUNDATION FOR A PATH Network FORWARD North America Regional Hub 10:20— 11:15 Breakout Group 2: Exploring Human Rights-Centered City-Led Approaches to Preventing Hate, Extremism and Social Polarization Breakout groups will exchange examples of initiatives to address hate, polarization and extremism in their own cities, including those related to building trusted relationships with historically marginalized communities; leveraging existing service delivery; and adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to gang-motived, gender-based and other forms of violence. Participants will reflect on these and the examples shared in prior sessions to explore ways that these approaches could inform or inspire initiatives in their own cities. 11:15— 11:30 Coffee Break 11:30— 12:20 Session 5: Cross-Border Cooperation to Prevent Hate, Extremism and Social Polarisation This session will focus on the ways these threats manifest in border cities, the unique challenges this presents and the approaches that border cities are taking to address them. The panel discussion will be followed by a group discussion to explore these approaches and introduce others to identify ways good practices can be incorporated into city-led approaches across the western parts of Canada and the United States. 12:20— 12:30 Keynote: This will feature a representative from a community-based organization that is working with their local government on prevention. 12:30— 13:20 Session 6: Local Government-Community Partnerships—The Foundation for Effective Prevention. This session will focus on the role that mayors, local leaders and municipal governments play in building trusted relationships with communities, including faith, historically marginalised or other"hard to reach"ones, and how these relationships and partnerships have been and can be leveraged for effective hate and extremism prevention efforts. 13:20— 14:00 Lunch 14:00— 14:50 Breakout Group 3: Strategies for Enhancing Local Government- Community Partnerships Participants will reflect on the approaches presented in session 6 and share examples from their own cities to identify good practice and explore ways they can enhance local government-community partnerships in their own city and through North America. 14:50— 16:15 Session 7: Strategic Communications in Crisis Response—Table- Top Exercise on the Roles of Mayors and Local Leaders Mayors and other local leaders will take part in a scenario-based table- top exercise designed to explore the key communications role they BItITISH Intentional Transformation COLUMBIA Copyright©ISD(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by ISD.ISD US is a non-profit corporation with SOl(c)(3)status registered in the District of Columbia with tax identification number 27-1282489. Strong Cities FOUNDATION FOR A PATN Network FORWARD North America Regional Hub play in response to hate and extremist-motivated incidents and intensifying polarization in their city, fueled or exacerbated by global crises, with emphasis on the post 7 October environment. The exercise will explore the key messages, modalities, and partners for effective communications in times of crises, particularly when the incident has the potential to divide a community or render a particular community vulnerable to retribution or retaliation. 16:15— 16:30 Coffee Break 16:30— 17:15 Event Brief-backs and Discussion Breakout groups will share the key takeaways from their discussions throughout the event, highlighting the core challenges that global crises pose to social cohesion in their cities and good practice and considerations for how to address them through a human-rights centered and cooperative approach. Participants will be asked to reflect on the entire event and identify 1)what they will take back with them to their cities, 2)what they recommend for other cities in western Canada and the United States and 3) how the Strong Cities North America Hub and other partners can best support city-led prevention efforts in their and neighboring municipalities. 17:15— 17:30 Wrap-Up/Conclusions: The Way Forward BR II LT^I S)H+ Intentional Transformation col'umlJIi1 �:n r nr.ri (omm xy 5a1 YaM Wr Drvny Copyright©ISD(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by ISD.ISD US is a non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3)status registered In the District of Columbia with tax identification number 27-1282489. Strong Cities FOUNDATION Network FOR A PATH FORWARD Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative Preventing Hate & Building Social Cohesion Amid Global Crises Unleashing the Potential of Cities in Western Canada & the Western United States Victoria, British Columbia, Canada October 30—31, 2024 Concept Note Context: On October 30—31, 2024, the City of Victoria, British Columbia (Canada), together with the Stronq Cities Network and the Foundation for a Path Forward (F4PF), and with support from the Province and Attorney General of British Columbia, will host the Strong Cities Network's second conference in Canada. This event that will convene mayors and local leaders, city- level practitioners and community-based partners from cities in western Canada and the western United States to share lessons learned and identify good practices for city-led approaches to preventing and responding to hate, violent extremism and social polarization. It builds on the first-ever conference focused on enhancing the role of Canadian cities in preventing hate and maintaining social cohesion amid global crises,which Strong Cities and F4PF organized in Montreal as part of Public Safety Canada's CVE Mega-Week, on May 30 31, 2024, with support from Public Safety Canada and Canadian Heritage. The late October event will take place in the context of a series of global crises, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, migration, the erosion of democracy, and largely unchecked misinformation and conspiracy narratives (including related to elections), which are impacting social cohesion in cities and communities across North America, both urban and rural. The event is part of an ongoing strategic partnership between Strong Cities and FP4F aimed at catalysing the involvement of more Canadian mayors and other elected local leaders and municipal governments in hate prevention efforts—supported through participation in the former's global network—and integrating digital safety and other education programs and collaborative solutions and community engagement initiatives into wider efforts to develop new and strengthen existing city-led prevention approaches. At the request of Marianne Alto, the Mayor of Victoria, the October event will be scheduled immediately after the 2024 Community Safety and Wellbeing Conference, also in Victoria. By hosting these two events back-to-back, Mayor Alto aims to encourage participation from numerous cities across Canada in both conferences,fostering greater collaboration and learning opportunities. BRITISH COLUM BI A Intentional Transformation Peim.gininq Imlusive Community Safety aM Wellbeing Copyright©Institute for Strategic Dialogue(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue(ISD),a company limited by guarantee,registered office address PO Box 75769,London,SW1P 9ER.ISD is registered in England with company registration number 06581421 and registered charily number 1141069.All Rights Reserved Strong Cities FOUNDATION Network FOR A PATH Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative FORWARD Organizing these two events back-to-back in Victoria will not only facilitate the participation of Canadian mayors and other officials from cities in western Canada in both but also reinforce the often-overlooked synergies and complementarities between city-led efforts to promote community safety and wellbeing in diverse and increasingly divided communities on the one hand and to prevent and respond to hate and violent extremism on the other. Objectives: It will provide the first dedicated space where cities in the western parts of these two countries will gather together to: • discuss how these threats and challenges are manifesting in their communities; • share city-led approaches to preventing and responding them, which could be replicated in other cities; and • explore ways to enhance cross-border cooperation and collaboration among cities that often have more in common with their counterparts on the other side of the border than they do with those in their eastern parts of their country. Special attention will be paid to both shared borders in western North America, i.e., the north-south (e.g., Washington-British Columbia)and east-west(Alaska-Yukon Territory) borders. Through a combination of plenary sessions, mayoral conversations and keynotes and breakout sessions, participants will explore a range of timely themes and their particular impact on and relevance for cities and communities in western North America. These topics include: • Online truth decay: a look at how mis/disinformation and other online threats are amplified in time of global crisis, fuelling offline hate and impacting democracy. • Mayoral Leadership in Times of Crisis: mayoral perspectives on the state of hate and violent extremism in cities in western Canada and the western United States and the impact that global crises are having on social cohesion in their communities. • Building Trust with Local Communities: an exploration of local government- community partnerships and ways they can provide a foundation for both effective prevention and response to hate in time of crisis. • City-Led Multidisciplinary Models: a look at different models (including from big and small-and mid-sized cities)of city-led multidisciplinary approaches for preventing hate and violent extremism and how they leverage or otherwise rely on existing service delivery or violence prevention or other public safety efforts. • Supporting small and rural cities: an exploration of ways to bridge the gap in capacity and resources in smaller municipalities and local governments in rural areas. CGLUMH Intentional Transformation LUMBIA F6ma i.4IF,Iuvv Comm—ys 11y WdlG 1 CONFERENCE 2D24 Copyright©Institute for Strategic Dialogue(2024).The Strong Cities Network Is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue(ISD),a company limited by guarantee,registered office address PO Box 75769,London,SW1P 9ER.ISD is registered in England with company registration number 06581421 and registered charity number 1141069,All Rights Reserved r Strong Cities FOUNDATION Network FOR A PATH FORWARD Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative • Urban Planning for Social Cohesion: a look at how thoughtful urban planning and design contribute to fostering social cohesion and helping make cities more resilient to hate and violent extremist threats. • A Pathway for Prevention: a collaborative effort to build a roadmap for enhancing city-led prevention and response to hate, violent extremism, and polarization in western Canada and the western United States, including opportunities for strengthening cross-border city-to-city cooperation and possibilities for providing a platform for continuous sharing and learning among these cities that is integrated into and can benefit from the wider Strong Cities Network. About Strong Cities Strong Cities is an independent global network of 240+cities and other local governments dedicated to addressing all forms of hate, extremism and polarisation, while promoting a human rights-based prevention framework. Through in-person and online convenings, exchanges and trainings, Strong Cities facilitates sharing and learning among mayors and other local leaders as well as municipal-level practitioners. By doing so, it helps local authorities leverage their full potential in prevention,while complementing national, regional and global efforts. About Foundation for a Path Forward Foundation for a Path Forward is the first official faith community convener for anti-racism initiatives(under the Attorney General's Office and in partnership with Resilience BC)in the Province of British Columbia, a designation that has fostered invaluable partnerships with governmental entities, educational institutions, community groups, and corporations. Its core mission is to engender a safer digital and physical environment across Canada, necessitating a multidimensional approach to mitigate both online and offline threats For more information about this event, including how to register, please contact Kelsey Bjornsgaard, Director of Practice, Strong Cities Network(kb(a)strongcitiesnetwork.org) i I BRITISH COLUMBIA RQ Intentional Transformation m,gining Induv Community saf and 1Rtllbaing coNreneRcc:0 24 Copyright©Institute for Strategic Dialogue(2024).The Strong Cities Network is hosted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue(ISD),a company limited by guarantee,registered office address PO Box 75769,London,SW 1 P 9ER.ISD is registered in England with company registration number 06581421 and registered charity number 1141069.All Rights Reserved