ActionDignity

Collaboration among ethno-cultural organizations dates back to the 1980s when the Calgary Chinese Community Service Association (CCCSA), the Council of Sikh Organizations (COSO) and the Calgary Vietnamese Canadian Association (CVCA) came together to address their common needs and to “have a stronger voice to effectively and adequately address integration and participation on issues of ethno-cultural communities”. In 1994, the same three organizations formed the Community Partnership for Access and Participation (CPAP), a collaboration that promoted cross-cultural initiatives to facilitate access to services of its member organizations, enhance participation in services of mainstream institutions, conduct joint staff development and volunteer management. On June 28, 2001, less than three months before the September 11 incident, CPAP spearheaded a Community Consultation that brought together over 70 leaders from various cultural backgrounds. The participants discussed key issues and barriers faced by ethnic communities, developed a collective vision and recommended strategies for common action. It was in this consultation that the idea of “an ethno-cultural council” was developed “to act as a watchdog on diversity issues”.

ActionDignity (then Ethno-Cultural Council of Calgary) was publicly launched on March 20, 2002, a day before the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and before the first day of spring, ushering in a season of hope and new beginnings amidst growing intolerance of cultural diversity during the six months after September 11. Nine ethno-cultural organizations and several individuals joined in as initial members, together with individual leaders. It then registered as an Alberta Society on December 16, 2002 and registered as a Charitable Organization on October 15, 2012.

Since its inception, the organization has been in the forefront of many initiatives addressing issues of diversity, human rights, racial inequities and public participation. It has built leadership and organizational capacity in Calgary’s ethno-cultural communities and enhanced the presence and participation of members of these communities in civic activities, public consultations and elections. It developed innovative approaches that strengthens the role of ethno-cultural communities in the design, access and better delivery of services, domestic violence prevention and neighbourhood strengthening. It also participated in an important research on the impact of changes to public policies especially on immigration.

In 2017, the organization embarked in a rebrand exercise, realizing the importance of good communication and recognizing its important role in trying times where such issues as social justice, human rights and equity seem to be in the forefront for many communities. The new name, Action Dignity Society, was publicly launched on December 17, 2017.