School District 71 recently joined more than 60 Comox Valley organizations and businesses that are Safe Harbour-certified.
“It is a natural partnership,” declared Rob Moore, International Student Program District principal. “It is the No. 1 goal of the International Student Program to foster multi-culturalism and globalization by welcoming students from around the world and growing diversity in our student population and community.”
Safe Harbour: Respect for All is a long-standing provincewide diversity program that puts vision into action — creating opportunities for storefront businesses, institutions, agencies, and municipalities to celebrate our differences, helping to create safer, more welcoming communities that support diversity and reject discrimination.
Safe Harbour is a commitment to diversity that helps increase the resilience of organizations by increasing their community profile as diversity leaders.
There are now well over 1,000 Safe Harbour certified locations in B.C., Yukon, Alberta, Manitoba, and Newfoundland. Each Safe Harbour-certified location displays a Respect for All decal on their front door or window that proudly announces their commitments to inclusion to newcomers, visible minorities, people with disabilities, youth, seniors, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and other diverse groups.
The Comox Valley is becoming better known globally, welcoming an increasing number of international students from over 20 countries attending SD71 and NIC, as well as permanent residents and temporary foreign workers.
In 2012, SD71 International School Program launched a community advisory committee to develop best practices to welcome newcomers in the Comox Valley.
“Safe Harbour is a perfect fit,” stated Moore, who is pleased to see the increasing number of certified businesses and organizations branding Comox Valley as a safe and welcoming destination.
Safe Harbour Respect for All is provincially co-ordinated by the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC with funding from the EmbraceBC and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology, with support from the federal government.
For details, visit www.safeharbour.ca or contact your local Safe Harbour community co-ordinator, Kathie Landry, at Creative Employment Access Society at 250-334-3119 or kathie@ceas.ca.
— School District 71