Charter Development Project
Perth County is committed to taking steps toward diversity, inclusion and equity for all both as an organization, but also in our community. On January 28, 2021, County Council unanimously approved a motion for Perth County to begin the development of a Charter for Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism.
Staff have developed a plan that includes a variety of opportunities for public input and engagement to help inform the language that will be included in the charter, identify the values and principles that it should contain as well as recommendations on how the charter could be utilized. Subscribe to this page below to receive updates about this project and watch our social media accounts for announcements about opportunities for input to this process.
We want to hear from you! Click the button below to complete the survey (closing April 16, 2021):
Residents and community members participated in four virtual community roundtable sessions hosted on the following dates:
- March 23, 2021 from 3:00PM-5:00PM
- March 25, 2021 from 7:00PM-9:00PM
- March 30, 2021 from 6:00PM-8:00PM
- March 31, 2021 from 7:00PM-9:00PM
About our Facilitator:
Dharshi Lacey, Director Equity, Inclusion & Governance, Pillar Nonprofit Network
Dharshi has worked for over 20 years in the nonprofit sector. She has many years experience in Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Works. She has facilitated sessions with boards and organizations to help them embed an inclusive lens in their leadership and operational work.
Dharshi also leads professional development workshops on board governance for Pillar Nonprofit Network and offers consulting services to nonprofit boards.She teaches Board Governance for the Nonprofit Management Post-Degree Diploma offered by Western University Continuing Studies.
What is the current project status? |
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The image below outlines the proposed project timeline and current status:
January 28, 2021 (Complete): Council approved the motion to develop a charter for Perth County February 2021 (Complete): Project planning and education phase. Development of public engagement survey and scheduling of community round tables for enhanced project input. March 2021 (Complete): Survey launch, virtual community roundtables and stakeholder outreach for input to the charter document. April 2021: Continuation of community outreach through survey (closes April 16) and interviews. Compilation and analysis of survey results and input from community roundtable sessions. Development of first draft of charter document. May 2021: Community review and revisions of draft charter. June 2021: Charter presented to County Council for approval. Public launch of the charter.
Please note these dates are subject to change as the project progresses. |
What is Diversity? |
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Differences in the lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class, and/or socio-economic situations. Source: University of British Columbia |
What is Equity? |
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Equity refers to achieving parity in policy, process and outcomes for historically and/or currently underrepresented and/or marginalized people and groups while accounting for diversity. It considers power, access, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes, in three main areas:
Source: University of British Columbia
Source: A Guide for Municipalities – Advancing Equity and Inclusion |
What is Inclusion? |
| Inclusion is an active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, and build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities to flourish for all.
Source: University of British Columbia |
What will a Charter mean for Perth County? |
| There is no single methodology or template for developing a charter. Communities across Canada have taken a wide variety of approaches and have developed charter documents that vary greatly. The common thread among all charter documents is that the communities reach out to their citizens and stakeholders to develop a document with language that reflects the needs of the community.
Once developed and adopted, based on the best practice research, there are a number of common ways that a charter could be used by Council and staff and employed on an ongoing basis:
As this project moves forward for Perth County, there will be opportunities for members of the community, service providers and other stakeholders to provide input. |
How can I learn more about this process? |
| Updates will be made to this page as the project continues. You can subscribe to this page for updates by clicking the link below. If you have questions about the project at any time, please click here to email our team. |
How can I participate? |
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We want to hear from you! Click the button below to complete the survey (closing April 16, 2021):
Residents and community members participated in four virtual community roundtable sessions hosted on the following dates:
If you would like to receive a paper copy of the survey, please contact us by clicking here or by calling 519-271-0531 ext 150 |
Helpful Links and Documents |
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