citizenU is an Action Research initiative, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada with in-kind contributions from the City of Vancouver and community partners.

As an Action Research initiative, citizenU seeks to work collaboratively with Vancouver youth[1] (and their families), host organizations and other project partners in innovating policy and practice on three fronts:

1. Collaboratively developing and refining training curricula, resources and tools for young leaders (and their families) to address issues of racism, discrimination and bullying in their schools, organizations and communities. This will involve adapting these curricula, resources and tools to a variety of learning and training environments over the course of the initiative.
2. Collaboratively developing policies, approaches, strategies and practices to address racism, discrimination and bullying within organizations, programs, services and citywide.
3. Collaboratively supporting youth participants as they identify, develop and try out community projects in response and/or to prevent racism, discrimination and bullying in their schools, organizations and communities.

 Overall goals & objectives of the initiative include the following:

1. To actively engage youth from diverse ethno-cultural and other communities, particularly those “at-risk”, in a Vancouver-based pilot project focusing on addressing racism, discrimination, marginalization and issues related to social cohesion.
2.  To raise awareness and explore solutions with youth from diverse communities in Vancouver, their families and the community, for racism, discrimination, marginalization and social cohesion issues.
3. To build intercultural youth leadership skills, capacities and networks to address racism, discrimination, marginalization and social cohesion issues in Vancouver.
4. To provide the foundation for a sustained and broad-based engagement model of youth from diverse communities in response to racism, discrimination, marginalization and social cohesion issues at a local level.
5. To promote intercultural understanding, collaboration, social cohesion, positive approaches to conflict resolution & a shared sense of citizenship, and facilitate social interaction and relationship building among youth and their families from diverse ethno-cultural and other communities.
6. To contribute to and enhance self-esteem, confidence, leadership and communication skills among participants, especially from at-risk and marginalized populations, to ensure their ongoing engagement in citywide intercultural and interfaith activities and initiatives.
7. To enhance participant skills and understanding to meaningfully participate in Canadian civil society and Canada’s democratic, federal system of government.
8. To provide meaningful adult mentorship opportunities for participants and increase social & support networks for participants and their families.
9. To engage participants working collaboratively and inter-culturally in determining, designing & implementing intercultural projects to address community issues.
10. To engage participants in reaching out to their peers, families & the wider community to raise awareness of racism, discrimination & integration issues.
11. To facilitate participant acquisition of:
    1. Awareness of racism and discrimination
    2. Knowledge of how to counter intolerant, racist or hate motivated behaviours; and
    3. Strategies to foster more inclusive behaviours.
12. To facilitate collaboration among participating public institutions, targeted communities and ethno-cultural, racial and other diverse community group members on initiatives to combat racism and promote diversity.