The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) Social Justice Summit is an annual event designed to foster dialogue, learning, and action on critical social justice issues. The Summit serves as a platform for professionals, community leaders, academics, students, and policymakers to engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and build capacity for creating equitable service delivery and advocacy. Our first ever social justice summit was held in 2023.
1st Annual Social Justice Summit (2023)
Held virtually over two days, February 7–8, 2023, the inaugural Summit introduced the theme, “Unlocking Your Social Justice Potential: Capacity Building 101.” It provided a foundational understanding of various social justice issues and empowered attendees to take actionable steps to offer anti-racist and anti-oppressive services. Featuring 12 sessions, the event addressed diverse topics such as gender-based violence, online hate, Islamophobia in schools, and hate crime reporting.
Highlights included:
- Accessibility 101 for Non-profits by Kelsey Ford, covering disability inclusion and stigma reduction.
- Indigenous Social Justice by Lindsay Kretschmer, exploring challenges in advancing equity for Indigenous communities.
- Anti-Black Racism in Service Delivery by Lilian Obeng, addressing systemic anti-Blackness in the non-profit sector.
- Toronto’s Complaint Process and Equity Oversight by Kwame Addo, Ombudsman of Toronto.
The Summit primarily aimed to enhance the capacity of service providers, community members, and decision-makers to implement equitable practices and share knowledge within their organizations.
2nd Annual Social Justice Summit (2024)
The second Summit, convened in person on March 4, 2024, at Centennial College Event Centre, expanded on the first year’s success with the theme, “Decolonizing Practices and Service Delivery: Agency to Racialized People and Resolute Allyship.” The Summit focused on addressing systemic inequities in workplaces, housing, and allyship while emphasizing settler responsibilities and decolonization.
Highlights included:
- Fixing the Broken Rung for Racialized Women by Amal Masri, tackling barriers to career progression.
- Countering Extreme Polarization and Hate by Mohamed Hashim and Peter Flegal, addressing societal divides.
- Decolonizing Workplaces and Service Provision by Rayah Ali, promoting inclusive organizational practices.
- Access to Housing for Racialized Communities by Sahar Raza, exploring systemic barriers.
- Politics of Allyship and Settler Responsibility by Kelly Brownbill, fostering meaningful Indigenous-settler relationships.
The event included six sessions and a “Lunch & Learn” workshop, offering attendees the opportunity to critically evaluate concepts and practices while networking with experts and peers.
Through these Summits, CASSA aims to create spaces for meaningful dialogue, actionable learning, and systemic change to advance equity, justice, and inclusion in diverse sectors.
