The Federation’s 2020 Annual Report

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This year’s annual report explores what Altogether better really means. The reason those two words show up so often on our website and our branded materials is that they actually say a lot about our values and the approach we take in our work. We are committed to exemplifying those values in everything we do—being unified, being accountable, being bold, and being responsive. We believe the how is just as important as the what and the why.

That’s why we strive to build strong and trusting relationships, to bring people and organizations together in partnership, to advance proven and promising practices, and to consciously and boldly embed ourselves in the work of social justice and reconciliation. These are the principles that inform everything that we do. And they are a big part of how and why we have been able to accomplish some truly remarkable things over the past year.

“We have accomplished a lot over the past year. And all of these efforts were made possible by you, our members. Your time, energy, creativity, and compassion are proof that Altogether better is more than just a slogan. It’s the philosophy that guides our entire organization. It’s the call to action that drives our work. It’s the strength of our partnerships. It’s what inspires and empowers our members to make BC a better place to live and it’s a steadfast commitment to strong and sustainable social services.”

Read The Federation’s 2020 Annual Report and learn about our board, our staff team, our strong and growing membership, our partnerships, collaborative initiatives, and advocacy efforts. It does a very good job of explaining our approach to social justice and our efforts to improve the strength and sustainability of our sector.

And as always, do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns or ideas that you want to share with me, the staff team, or your board of directors.

Rick FitzZaland
Federation Executive Director

Two more steps toward reconciliation and resurgence

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The two of us—Tanya and Rick, your President and Executive Director—have often talked about the winding circuitous routes that led us to where we are today and resulted in us working together at this Federation.

One of us (Rick) actually grew up in the American south. When you come from a state that sits below the Mason-Dixon line, you understand very clearly, and from a very young age what is at stake in the struggle for racial equity. It is work that I have been involved in and work that has been very important to me since I was a young man. To this day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remains a role model both when it comes to fighting for social justice as well as my own leadership practice.

The other of us (Tanya) was actually born in Cape Town, South Africa. My parents brought us to Canada so we could grow up in a country where we wouldn’t be segregated by the colour of our skin. And while we were insulated from the harsh system of apartheid, we couldn’t avoid the racist name-calling at school or looks from certain neighbours. Life has definitely been better here than it would have been in South Africa, but as a person of colour, you have no choice but to experience things—racism, discomfort, grief—that others can choose to ignore or opt-out of. Racial equity is more than important. It’s personal. This is why finding people that share those values is so meaningful.

The values that are most important to both of us—equality, justice, compassion—are the same values held by this organization and all of the organizations that make up its membership. And over the past few years, The Federation, led by your board of directors, has invested time and energy in making sure those values (inspired and ratified by our membership) guide both the work we do and our approach to that work.

Those values are now being spoken aloud more and more in the calls to action being issued all around us in response to the ongoing racism, colonialism, and state violence that continue to harm and oppress members of our families and communities. As we have watched the events and protests continue to unfold across the continent (and participated in a few of them ourselves), The Federation team was conscious about not wanting to add empty words to a very important conversation about racial equality and social justice.

There was a lot we wanted to say and a lot we could have said over the past several months. But whatever the future might look like—whatever progress we make over the coming months and years—it will come through actions more than words and we wanted to wait until we knew what we were going to do before we said what we wanted to say. So today, we want to highlight two important actions that The Federation is taking.

Indigenous board seats

Building on the work our board has done to examine our organizational commitment to reconciliation and resurgence, the board of directors will be putting forward a motion at the October Annual General Meeting to amend our bylaws to state that 2 seats on the board will be held specifically for members or organizations that identify as Indigenous.

Your board members discussed this decision at length and are very aware that simply having Indigenous people sit on the board is only one step. Much more work needs to be done to ensure that The Federation board is a group that Indigenous community members WANT to join and feel safe among. However, creating these positions will help us be more accountable to our membership and our communities. We want to be the kind of organization that Indigenous organizations want to be a part of.
Decolonization-focused leadership training

The other action we are taking is focused on training for you and your staff teams. Over the last year, we began bringing more training opportunities to Federation members across the province. These began with Cultural Safety Training hosted by Tammie Myles of Mother Earth Whispers and, due to popular demand, we will continue to offer this training online throughout the year.

In addition, we are excited to announce a new training opportunity that will offer a more intensive learning program for members who want to deepen their learning and apply reconciliation-based approaches to their organizations and programs. The Federation has partnered with Dr. Dustin Louie from the University of Calgary to offer a cohort-based, year-long program for Federation members called Transformative Reconciliation in Community Social Services. This innovative program has been designed for Federation members to engage in transformative reconciliation through collaborative learning, design, and practice.

Our action-oriented design is ideal for leaders who are keen to create real-world approaches to reconciliation that are founded on decolonizing principles and Indigenous Knowledges in your local context. The program is designed to be inclusive of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants and Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations. Everyone is welcome.

You can learn more about the program and fill out an application on The Federation website. The Federation staff team and Dr. Louie are still putting the finishing touches on the design of this program and we welcome your suggestions and ideas—you can offer insight and guidance here.

We both believe that the ways of thinking that led us to this point, that created all these problems and inequities, will not help us solve them. We need fundamentally new ideas and approaches as we move forward. And in particular, we need to host conversations about racism that aren’t predicated on binary ideas of whether or not someone is racist or not-racist. We need to have open and honest conversations (including conversations with ourselves) about bias and privilege and prejudice, accept that they are a part of our lives, and then figure out strategies to address them. Among other things, that is the goal of this new offering.

Other actions we can take

Over the coming months, The Federation team will have more information about these pieces of work as well as other projects and initiatives that are on the horizon—including outreach to members about reforms to BC’s Police Act and a community of practice for members to share organization approaches to decolonizing and addressing oppression.

And as always, the rest of the board and both of us are very open to hearing your thoughts, ideas, and questions about these issues. If there are other actions you think we could or should take, let us know! We are constantly striving to learn how we can best support you and ensure that this Federation continues to live into what Altogether better is all about.

Tanya Behardien, Federation President
Rick FitzZaland, Federation Executive Director

Remembering what is most important

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You and I and every other British Columbian will be voting for the next provincial government between now and October 24th. This election may look and feel a little different than those in the past, but the fundamental issues that we will be deciding—the options before us and the values that are at play—are very much the same.

At election time, the inclination can often be to focus on the things we are most bothered about right here and now. And I understand very well that there are some things we are upset and frustrated about at the moment. But I want to encourage you to think about the larger, long-term goals that we all share—the things that we have been working toward together for years, the recent progress we have made, and the structural changes and policy shifts that will have a profound and long-lasting effect on our sector and the people we serve.

A strong and sustainable social services sector

This is our Federation’s long-term goal—to create a strong and sustainable community social services sector. We made this commitment prior to the last provincial election, during our 2017 Social Policy Forum. It was inspired and driven by you, our members, and it also identified the four key factors that would be a central part of this work.

  • Inclusive and culturally safe workplaces
  • Attraction and retention
  • Supervision and training
  • A coordinated system of care

When we think about making important choices, like whether or not to vote or who to vote for, these are the themes and ideas that I believe should guide our decision-making.

Under which government has our sector made the most progress on the above issues? Which party do you think is going to keep our sector engaged over the next four years? Who do you think is more likely to commit resources to making things better for women fleeing violence, kids in care, vulnerable seniors, and families living in poverty? Look at your mission and vision and think about what it will mean for your organization, your staff, and your clients if one party wins over the other.

If that last paragraph sounded less than impartial, that’s because it wasn’t. There is a lot at stake in this election and while we are acutely aware of the need to be non-partisan, The Federation is an organization fundamentally oriented towards social justice. And that commitment was determined and motivated directly by our membership. We, like you, demand a society that better serves, represents, and respects the people you serve and employ.

Get out the vote

Historically, low voter turnout often leads to government decision-making that prioritizes the needs of the elite at the expense of marginalized or vulnerable community members. So, over the coming weeks, The Federation team will also be encouraging you, your staff, and your clients to get out and vote. Included below are resources and information to support you in doing so and we will share more over the coming weeks. As always, if you have questions about this strategy, the election, or election-related issues, please do not hesitate to contact me or Rebecca.

Rick FitzZaland
Executive Director

 

Election Resources and Information

CBC News has compiled a list of all candidates nominated in all ridings (updated daily). The deadline for candidates to be declared and approved by Elections BC is October 2nd so check back between now and then for changes.

You can request a vote by mail package from Elections BC here (click on the grey button at the bottom of the page).

Elections BC also has also compiled information about services for at-risk voters and voters with disabilities and has collected translated election materials in 17 different languages.

You can use this map to find your electoral district (also known as a riding or constituency). Please note, the map can take a few seconds to load.