Organizer 1
Anver saloojee
Professor, Department of Politics and School of Public Administration
Board Member, Laidlaw Foundation Toronto, Canada
Department of Politics and School of Public Administration, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B-2K3.Canada.

Tel: 416-979-5000 ext 6413
Fax: 416-979-5289
Email:saloojee@ryerson.ca AND/OR saloojee@rogers.com


Organizer 2
Ratna Omidvar
Executive Director, Maytree Foundation
NGO - Maytree Foundation.
170 Bloor Street West Suite 804 Toronto, Ontario M5S-1T9

Tel: 416-944-2627
Fax: 416-944-8915
Email:info@maytree.com





Workshop description:
This workshop will focus on the challenges of creating socially inclusive communities & societies. In the post 1980s period there has emerged a huge body of research and literature related to the impacts of social exclusion at the local, national and global levels. In particular the research has demonstrtated how social exclusion erodes and corrodes citizenship and the enjoyment of rights. In recent years there has developed a significant shift from "deficiency models" to one that is visionary. The framework of social inclusion is one such model. At a recent conference in Ottawa, Canada,co-sponsored by the Laidlaw Foundation participants entustically embraced the concept. Based on the presentations at the conference, the Laidlaw Foundation noted that social inclusion has a number of advantages. It is a framework that is rooted in people's lived experiences, it focuses on the ties that bind individuals and communities, it is based on a recognition and respect for human diversity, it promotes a broadly democratic notion of citizenship and it promotes a human development approach to well being. This session will bring together academic researchers, policy makers, and NGOs from North America and Europe (i)to look at ways in which the concepts of social inclusion and exclusion have been applied; and (ii)to assess the range of initiatives states, societies and communities have undertaken in recent years to create inclusive communities and societies. It is designed to be informative and highly interactive. It will be grounded in lived experiences and in best practices.


Goals of the workshop:
The goals of this workshop include: 1) Creating an International Dialogue on Social Inclusion 2)Identifying best practices in various countries that promote social inclusion in communities and cities. 4) Bringing together academics, researchers, NGO's, private foundations and policy makers together to identify common strategies to creating inclusive communities and cities in various countries. 4) Identifying ways in which the conceptual framework of social inclusion can be moved into the policy and practice field. 5) Identifying the positive impacts a commitment to social inclusion can have on citizenship and the valuing of and respect for diversity.




Policy relevance and topic: This workshop is both relevant and topical. It will have a bearing on the following policy fields: Social Policy - health, education, anti poverty programs and policies. There will also be a focus on oppression and discrimination in a range of policy fields (immigration, asylum seekers)and the way in which a social inclusion agenda can move those issues to the next level - social solidarity.


How international comparisons are included: International comparisons will be included by ensuring that the panel of presenters come from Great Britain, a number of European countries and Canada.


Reference to concerns with policy-making and best practice: Participants will identify the range of barriers and exclusionary practices in a variety of policy fields. The key policy making field identified are as follows:

Poverty and in particular child poverty;
Labour Market Integration;
Equity and Human Rights policies;
Electoral policies.
Immigration and Refugee Policies.

In terms of best practices,presenters will be urged to identify ways in which community, local and national policies and practices help to build inclusive communities and cities. Particular attention will be paid to those initiatives that advance social inclusion directly.


Presenters / participants /other information

Mr. John Biles,
Metropolis Canada

Ms. Ratna Omidvar,
Executive Director of the Maytree Foundation, Canada

Dr. Anver Saloojee,
Professor Department of politics and School of Public dministration, Ryerson University and Board Member of the Laidlaw Foundation in Toronto, Canada
Alina Esteves, Doctoral Student, Portugal [alinaesteves@eurodivisal.com]
Agnès M. Jaouich, Senior Citizenship Judge, Canada.




Summary:
The session will focus on ways in which we can enhace the role and increase the participation of newcomers in the creation of inclusive cities and communities. It will be a highly interactive session with representaties of NGO’s, private foundations, academics and policy makers. All the participants bring a comparative perspective as well as a very practical dimension to the workshop session as all are actively involved and engaged with projects related to building inclusive cities and communities.



Date: 10 September


(1 session is 3 hours)
Number of sessions: 1

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