1. PROMPT
Policy Roundtable Mobilizing
Professions and Trades
‘Recasting Equity’
Presented by Nikhat Rasheed
National Metropolis Conference
Vancouver, March 23 - 26 2006
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

2. PROMPT
PROMPT is the collective voice of
Internationally Educated Persons (IEPs)
represented by associations of immigrant
professionals and community
organizations.
Funded by Canadian Heritage, Multiculturalism Program, Voluntary Sector Initiative
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

3. Key Objectives
 To develop policy alternatives and
recommendations to increase access to
professions and trades for IEPs such that they
can maximize their contributions to Canada
 To develop the concept of equity and eliminate
systemic inequities and the assumed deficiency
of IEPs
 To promote the role of immigrants in creating
innovation
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

4. Traditional Framework of
Equity in Canada
Background to equity legislation
 Focus on Equal opportunity/ Access for
employment opportunities
 Employment equity 1984: “a strategy to
obliterate the present and residual effects of
discrimination…. Open equitably the competition
for employment opportunities to those arbitrarily
excluded.”
 Legislation to increased access for women, visible
minorities, the disabled and aboriginals
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

5. Legislation affecting IEPs
 Constitution of Canada – BNA „immigration:
provincial‟; provinces gave responsibility to FG
 Charter of rights did not include discrimination
against “place of education or training” as
included in UN Charters – thus did not protect
skilled immigrants (1982)
 Federal government instituted employment
equity (1984-86)
 Province of Ontario (receiving most immigrants)
repealed employment equity after just two years
(1993-1995) retaining only pay equity for women
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

6. Immigration & Globalization
 1986 points system ensured skilled immigrants were
highly qualified for transition into the “knowledge
economy”
 Skilled immigrants from non-traditional source
countries, in particular racialized communities
 Employment equity legislation had paradoxical effect of
removing skilled immigrants out of the mainstream by
terming them “visible minority”
 Legislation to protect access might have contributed to
reducing it “an applicant is an applicant”
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

7. Problems faced by IEPs
 De-legitimization of experience, skills and
education
 Denial or delays of licensure to practice
 Under-selling qualifications recommended
 Issue of Canadian experience vs. Relevant
experience vs. International experience
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

8. Why are these problems
occurring?
 Current system: poor flow of principle of equality
from federal to provincial to local
 Assumption of deficiency: Lack of
knowledge, historical inequities result in
constructing difference as negative
 Equivalency vs. Complementarity
 This lens informs our policy and programming
e.g. bridge training
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

9. Governance
 Governance is capital focused not human
focused
 Institutional rigidity – lack of capacity of
institutions to recognize and
acknowledge social, intellectual and
experiential knowledge different from
theirs
 Need to “think outside the box” and
focus on “innovation”
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

10. Canada today
 Canada, through its experiment in diversity
through immigration, has arrived at a new
plateau of development.
 To takes its place of pride on the global stage, it
needs to take into account new international
realities
 Realities that have arrived through
immigrants, seeking their place of equality within
a human-centred governance for the globalized
world.
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

11. Recasting equity
 Our definition of equity is a vigilant, on-
going, dynamic process that recognizes:
 Diversity of peoples, their common
humanity, intrinsic worth and dignity, and;
 Differential relations of power and material
circumstances between groups in society
whether through historical, present or evolving
circumstances that require interventions to
rebalance.
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

12. Recasting equity – practically?
 IEPs are Canadians; we must restore
equality for all through continuing
mainstreaming IEPs in all processes
 We must focus on institutional change and
move towards human-centred
governance; the protection of the human
being must reign supreme
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

13. If anyone in the world can
achieve this new vision…
………Canada can!
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006

14. Contact
Nikhat Rasheed
PROMPT Coordinator
820 – 2 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON M5B 1J3
nikhat@cassa.on.ca
(416) 979-8611 ext. 4310
Recasting Equity Presentation for
National Metropolis 2006