Centering Black & Racialized Communities | Building an Equitable Future

A BOLD CALL TO ACTION

Systemic and structural racism persist within Canada’s ecosystems, perpetuating deep and unconscionable inequities for Black and racialized communities. Despite progress, populations made most marginal face pervasive challenges: inadequate income, barriers to accessing benefits, and the relentless reality of racism and discrimination embedded in our systems. Sustainable poverty reduction demands a whole-of-society commitment to dismantle these structures and rebuild systems that leave no one behind.

This forum is not a passive discussion. It is a strategic convergence focused on advancing concrete, radical solutions led by those who know the terrain best. We center Black-led organizations and prioritize the expertise of individuals with lived experience of poverty. Their voices are not additions; they are the essential blueprint for change.

CORE SESSIONS: IGNITING TRANSFORMATION

THE FUTURE OF WORK VS. THE FUTURE OF INCOME

Beyond automation and gig economies. Is a job the sole path to economic dignity? We dissect the shifting landscape and champion models like basic income as foundational tools for racial and economic justice, ensuring communities thrive regardless of labor market volatility.

GRASSROOTS RESPONSES TO POVERTY: COMMUNITY AS THE FIRST RESPONDER

Highlighting the transformative power of Black-led organizations. Explore frontline, culturally-grounded models of mutual aid, support, and advocacy that fill the gaps left by failing systems. This session centers solutions already flourishing within communities.

BUILDING A RESILIENT & ANTI-RACIST SOCIAL SAFETY NET

Our current net is torn with holes of bias and bureaucracy. How do we co-design a new system that is accessible, adequate, and dignified? We confront the racism that permeates service delivery and blueprint a support structure that truly catches everyone.

THE FUTURE OF HEALTH IS POVERTY REDUCTION

Health equity is impossible without economic equity. This session directly links inadequate income to health disparities, stressing mental, physical, and community well-being. We advocate for policies that treat income as a vital determinant of health.

OUR UNCOMPROMISING AIM

We gather to advance solutions by:

• Confronting Systemic Racism: Naming and dismantling the discrimination within poverty reduction efforts themselves.

• Elevating Lived Expertise: Positioning community-driven knowledge as the non-negotiable foundation for policy.

• Demanding Structural Change: Moving beyond piecemeal programs toward transformative policies like basic income, rooted in racial justice.

Together, let’s translate dialogue into action, and action into justice. Let’s build a society where income provides vitality, not just survival.

Join us. Amplify this work. Let’s move closer, with determination, to that more equitable and just society.

The SETSI Institute

To participate, email: Maat@setsi.ca