ABOUT CIPAD

The concept of a Canadian Institute for People of African Descent (CIPAD) was envisioned as an opportunity for African/Black Canadians to work together to identify and achieve consensus on a number of priorities. These priorities include infrastructure, health, education, justice, governance, regional collaboration, accountability, and economic empowerment.

CIPAD is intended to support initiatives that value, support and promote strong African/Black Canadian family development that is inclusive of the diversity in our communities (eg., Canadian-born, Afro-Caribbean, African, Afro-Latino, bi-racial, Francophone, Anglophone, youth, elders, male, female, transgender, non-binary or queer and a person with a disability) that allow us to speak clearly with a consistent, unified voice that is national in scope. We hope to be an evidence-informed data resources for governments and public and private sector institutions.

The CIPAD vision is a community created and led initiative that is responsive to the International Decade for People of African Descent themes of recognition, justice and development. CIPAD’s aim is to address concerns regarding the social determinants of overall health for members of Canada`s African/Black communities, regionally and nationally.

CIPAD’s main goal is to achieve positive outcomes for African/Black Canadian communities by building a framework to grow and sustain community capacity that is national in scope while remaining sensitive to region-specific needs, versus silos of a localized and individualized approach to resource development and client service delivery.

Background

The  Decade is enlivened through three Pillars: Recognition, Justice and Development. Each pillar has an overarching commitment articulation: The Right to Equality and Non-Discrimination, Access to Justice and the Right to Development and Measures Against Poverty, respectively.

The Canadian Institute for People of African Descent is an overarching response birthed from those gatherings. The concept for the Canadian Institute for People of African Descent (CIPAD) in its purpose/goal is to be the single window /Hub for policy making/framing, engagement and dissemination for the Government of Canada. It will be a Black lens and serve a Black Secretariat role which also could be scaled to provincial/regional levels. It will be knowledge mobilization hub/portal/entity for research coordination, dissemination, data disaggregation and impact measurement. It will be a location to proactively raise awareness, connect and engage stakeholders and communities, locally and nationally around the development of effective and culturally safe approaches to addressing the social determinants of health and health inequities of Black communities across Canada.

Floydeen Charles Fridal

Executive Director

Caribbean African Canadian (CAFCAN) Social Services

Sylvia Parris-Drummond

CEO

Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute

Rudi Quammie Williams

Project Manager

CIPAD