Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island — The PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games Host Society has officially partnered with the Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity & Workplace Equity to implement a comprehensive Anti-Racism & Anti-Discrimination Framework for a Safe & Brave Spaces Program.

The first of its kind in the Canada Games since its origin in 1967, the Safe & Brave Spaces Program encompasses in-depth equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), anti-racism, and anti-discrimination training programs for staff, volunteers, and key stakeholders of the Canada Games movement. The program is designed to ensure the equitable recruitment and balanced representation of over 5,000 volunteers, managing a diverse network of community and corporate stakeholders, reviewing and enhancing the policies from an EDI lens, and a prompt and effective process to proactively manage and prevent racism in sport.

“We believe Canadians should all have opportunities to get involved and excel in sport, regardless of gender, ability, or personal characteristics,” said Kyle Dudley, CEO of the 2023 Canada Games Host Society. “Partnering with a reputable national organization like the Canadian Congress further strengthens our mission to make sport safe and welcoming for everyone, and we look forward to working together to make the 2023 Games a safe and inclusive environment that is free of abuse, harassment, or discrimination.”

The Canadian Congress will utilize experienced staff from their Atlantic Canada office to train Host Society staff and volunteers and will also seek input from different corporate and community stakeholders like the Black Cultural Society of PEI, Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI, and Pride Canada to achieve the desired objectives.

“From time immemorial, sports have been a great unifier of people. It has brought people together from every ethnic and gender group, bridging generational gaps for the sake of inspiration and enjoyment,” said Alex Ihama, the Executive Director of the Canadian Congress and President/CEO of the International School of Greatness Canada. “However, to ensure the desired harmony in such a volatile time, organizations must become intentional about protecting their people against the unfortunate rise of hate, discrimination, and racism. We applaud the 2023 Canada Games Host Society for taking this bold step to elevate what they have always stood for and making us their Official Diversity Partner. We thank and look forward to working with all the stakeholders to make this the most inclusive and equitable Games ever.”

Experts from the Canadian Congress who will be working with Canada Games officials and all stakeholders to implement the comprehensive Anti-Racism & Anti-Discrimination Framework for a Safe & Brave Spaces Program includes Chrissy Benz, a seasoned sports executive with years of experience in multi-sport Games including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Games, the World Police and Fire Games, and the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), as well as Henry Luyombya, a mental health professional and experienced community builder who resides on PEI.

About Canadian Congress

The Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity & Workplace Equity is a national organization with access to over 100 academic & experiential experts, researchers, and facilitators in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) that offer an end-to-end strategic framework for organizations, institutions, and the government to eliminate systemic racism from their brand, culture, systems, policies & management.  To enable our clients to foster a cohesive, inclusive, and progressive corporate culture, we facilitate customized training programs, audit policies & processes from a critical EDI lens, engage their staff and coach their executives to attract, retain and maximize inclusive diversity & workplace equity.  While we organize some of the largest and most impactful diversity events in the country, empowering thousands of Canadians each year to stand up for social justice, we also help organizations to develop & implement short & long-term corporate EDI strategies, specialized EDI initiatives, content for Learning Management Systems (LMS), and a three-to-five-year strategic roadmap to facilitate the transformation of their corporate culture.

The Canadian Congress exists to be a voice that will linger for generations, advocating for love, kindness, unity and the human rights and civil liberties of Canadians, while empowering people, corporations, institutions, communities, and the government to foster inclusive diversity & workplace equity.