By Owen Charters

The news has been heartbreaking.

First, the revelation of an unmarked gravesite at the Kamloops Residential School, situated on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, containing the remains of 215 children—a stark and difficult reminder of the trauma and horrors perpetuated on Indigenous people across this country.

Then, the terrible news of a cowardly, racist act—a man intentionally driving his vehicle into a family out for a Sunday evening walk, targeting and killing them because they were Muslim. Four died. And a nine-year old boy is left injured and trying to make sense of a world that ripped his entire family away in one fell swoop.

There are not enough arms to provide condolence. Not enough words to express the incomprehensible. Not enough air to vent the anger.

Speaking to the Clubs where these dreadful events happened, I heard how their communities are staggering under the weight of these tragedies. And I know they are not alone. Our Clubs across Canada are full of Indigenous youth, staff, and volunteers who bear the intergenerational trauma of residential schools and ongoing discrimination. Our Clubs are full of Muslim youth, staff, and volunteers who face racism and Islamophobia daily, not feeling safe on the streets or online.

And we have seen other horrifying stories over the past couple weeks—a man leaving a beach in Toronto beaten because he was gay, a conviction in a Thunder Bay case of a man who threw a trailer hitch out his truck window that struck and killed an Indigenous woman.

These incidents come on the heels of a tumultuous year that saw global movements challenge racism and oppression, that saw communities across the world rise up to confront systemic inequities. And these incidents happened during Pride Month, as we celebrate inclusion and acceptance.

It is a sobering reality. Racism. Xenophobia. Discrimination. Oppression. We have seen it over and over. It exists in London. It exists in Toronto, in Ottawa, in Vancouver, Halifax, and St. John’s. It exists in Williams Lake, in Battlefords, in Pembroke, in Summerside—and all the places in-between. It is hatred and we must continue to confront it, redoubling our efforts to eradicate the root causes. These are pervasive, systemic ills in our society. We cannot blindly say “not in Canada”—we need to do better.

At BGC Clubs, the fight against racism and xenophobia is central to our work. It is central not just because we have the privilege to work with youth, and therefore have a duty to teach openness and acceptance, to celebrate difference and change the pattern, but because those who come through our doors are often the victims of systemic inequity—they are hurting because of it, they are denied opportunities because of it.

We must call out hate. And we must each do more—acknowledge historic injustices, be aware of and actively work against systemic racism and inequity, actively strive for a just society.

We take solace in the work we are doing—and it strengthens and inspires us to do more. Acceptance comes from understanding. Spending the time to understand others, their background, their culture, their motivations. ‘Respectful curiosity’ is likely one of the most useful tools we have as humans. We must instill curiosity in ourselves and others—even if that makes us uncomfortable. Learning about each other is how we come together, as people, as communities, as a country.

Together, we grieve with a family and a community in London, Ontario, where violence has shattered any illusion our society is one of peace and tolerance. And it will remain this way until we confront hate and root it out. Until we can say with conviction that we can all do better on behalf of the 215 lost children, on behalf of the Afzaal family, and on behalf of the many others who have been the victims of violence perpetrated by hate.

Toronto, ON, October 21, 2020 – Today, Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada launched a new campaign that reinforces the important role Boys & Girls Clubs play in building social safety nets for so many young Canadians.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and exposed serious systemic issues, from racism and other forms of discrimination to inequity and the far-reaching effects of poverty. Research shows that children who face racism are more likely to be victims of poverty and abuse, have more interactions with child welfare and the justice system, and experience challenges at school. Our new campaign juxtaposes these systemic issues with the systemic solutions that Boys & Girls Clubs across the country offer—equity, acceptance, support, opportunity.

“The core values of Boys & Girls Clubs—Belonging, Respect, Encouragement and Support, Working Together, Speaking Out—are built around inclusion and we are proud of the work we do,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “Our new Systemic Opportunity campaign encapsulates the driving force behind Boys and Girls Clubs with a simple statement: opportunity changes everything. Whether it’s homework help or a homeless shelter, a quick snack after school or the only meal of the day, a high five or a 1-to-1 mental health check-in, our Clubs offer everything a young person needs, including access to opportunities they might not find outside our walls—but could change their life.”

The campaign was developed in close collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada’s strategic and creative agency ROUND, along with the creative team of Tim Das and Sean Davison, and ROUND’s production partners Makers, School Editing, and Grayson Music.

“Boys & Girls Clubs do so much and we needed more people to understand the significant difference they make in the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids across the country. There’s no denying the power of the word ‘Systemic’. But these days, systemic is always followed up by a negative word like ‘Racism’, ‘Poverty’ or ‘Inequity’. Systemic problems require systemic change. That’s how we landed on Systemic Opportunity. Because investing in kids and youth is how we can all work to fix many of the systemic issues in our society today,” said ROUND Founding Partner & Creative Director, Paul Riss.

The campaign is not just a clever play on words. For over a century, Boys and Girls Clubs have removed barriers and created opportunities for all young people, of all backgrounds. We see firsthand the effects of systemic problems—and we know that the solution is investing in young people, in communities, in platforms that give young people a voice. We know the solution is systemic.

We are also proud to welcome beloved Canadian icon Jully Black as spokesperson for our new campaign and strong supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Systemic campaign debuted today on Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada’s social media platforms (@BGCCAN and #OpportunityChangesEverything) and will extend to television and cinema over the next few weeks.

About BGC Canada
Community-based services. Positive relationships. Life-changing programs. As Canada’s largest child- and youth-serving charitable organization, BGC provides vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 775 communities across Canada. During critical out-of-school hours, our Clubs help young people discover who they are, what they can do, and how they can get there. Our trained staff and volunteers give them the tools to realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, mental health, leadership, and more. Since 1900, BGC have opened their doors to children, youth, and families in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities. If a young person needs it, our Clubs provide it. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

About ROUND
ROUND is a creative and strategic partnership founded by two experienced agency leaders, Paul Riss, Creative Director and Mike Davidson, Managing Director. ROUND works with the top talent in the industry to solve business challenges through creative thinking. ROUND’s mission is to build up client brands while tearing down agency overhead. For more information, please visit WeAreRound.com. Follow ROUND on Instagram @round_advertising.

For more information, please contact:

Jared Morrow
Media Relations Manager, BGC Canada
jmorrow@bgccan.com
647.928.5801

Mike Davidson
Founding Partner & Managing Director, ROUND
mike@weareround.com
647.554.5248