Community and partners coming together at the Together Against Hate Community Forum Part 2
On March 21, 2026, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, DIVERSEcity brought community members and partners together for the Together Against Hate Forum Part 2: Sharing the Table.
The purpose was clear: to bring our community together to confront racism, centre those most impacted by systemic inequities, and explore meaningful ways to take action. “On this day, people showed up with care, courage and commitment. Participants shared tangible solutions, lifted up lived experience and reminded us that real change happens when we listen deeply and act collectively,” says Sumaiyyah Adam, project manager of Together Against Hate.
The event was first grounded by Queekemosot (Angeline Splockton) and Wopeeoh (Frank Campbell) of the Tsawwassen First Nation, who opened our day through drum and song. Their welcome reminded us of the importance of doing this work alongside Indigenous communities.
Moving into roundtable talks, our facilitators — Janani Ravikularam, Daniela Cohen, Saleha Islam, Sumaiya Tufail, Elizabeth Semowo, Asmita Lawrence, Sofia Aman, and Marialejandra (Expansion Works) — guided the conversations with care, humility and intention. Their stewardship held space for honest dialogue, ensured every voice was heard, and helped surface the tangible solutions and wisdom that came from the roundtables.
We also want to acknowledge the Dr. Peter Centre, whose trauma- and violence-informed frameworks — the Sidelined 2% and the grounding question “Who Is Your Jo?” guided our conversations. Their decades of leadership continue to shape how we understand systemic inequities and the lived realities of those navigating multiple systems at once. “We are grateful for their generosity in sharing these resources,” says Sumaiyyah.
This forum was a reminder that addressing hate and inequity is ongoing work — work that requires community, collaboration and a willingness to hold space for hard but necessary conversations.
Watch our recap video below and learn more about this work, funded by UnitedWayBC, here.