Youth Innovations Stream Definitions

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DEFINITION: Black-led Grassroots Group 

A Black-led grassroots group meets the following criteria: 

Group Membership and Leadership Culturally and Community Anchored Work Equity and Anti-Oppression
  • The majority of the core team is Black,* Afro-Diasporic, and/or Afro-Latinx; this includes youth and adults in partnership with Black youth.
  • Black youth are meaningfully engaged and are clearly central to the initiation, design, delivery, and decision-making of the initiative.
  • YOF recognizes that intergenerational partnerships are integral to the success of many grassroots initiatives and believe these partnerships should be youth centered and strengthen the capacity of youth to lead. 
  • Initiative is designed explicitly by and for Black youth
  • Group has legitimacy and acceptance in the community they are working in and creates opportunities for broad community participation.

  • Group emerged organically or intentionally from the efforts of community members impacted by and dedicated to changing the status quo.

  • Group and initiative are committed to elevating and honouring Black communities.

  • Group remains continuously committed to engaging, listening, and learning from the community in which they are embedded and serve.
     
  • Implicitly by their existence, or explicitly in their mission and strategies, these initiatives, address the impacts of anti-Black racism (including the prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping), and discrimination directed at Black peoples.
  • Initiative  aims to change the status quo by challenging the current social, economic, and political marginalization faced and/or experienced by Black peoples.
  • Group is committed to building capacity and power  of the Black community by training, employing, teaching and supporting community members, including children, youth, adults, Elders, and existing and emerging community leaders.
  • Group and initiative create opportunities and spaces for Black peoples to be their full selves. 

*Black encompasses the diversity within the community and includes, but is not limited to, Black, Afro-diasporic, Afro-Caribbean, and Afro-Latinx. Black is an inclusive term that recognizes the diversity and unique needs, culture, religious identity, etc. of the Black community.

 

DEFINITION: Indigenous-led Grassroots Group

An Indigenous-led grassroots group meets the following criteria: 

Group Membership and Leadership Culturally and Community Anchored Work Equity and Anti-Oppression

  • The majority of the core team identify as First Nation, Métis or Inuit. This; includes youth and adults working in partnership with Indigenous youth.

  • Indigenous youth are meaningfully engaged and are clearly central to the initiation, design, delivery, and decision-making of the initiative.

  • YOF recognizes that intergenerational partnerships are integral to the success of many grassroots initiatives, and believe these partnerships should be youth centered and strengthen the capacity of youth to lead.
     

     
  • Initiative is designed explicitly by and for First Nation, Métis or Inuit youth.
  • Group has legitimacy and acceptance in the community they are working in and creates opportunities for broad community participation.
  • Group emerged organically or intentionally from the efforts of community members impacted by and dedicated to changing the status quo.
  • Group and initiative are rooted in Indigenous history and values, and/or are reflective of Indigenous cultures, worldviews, traditions and spirituality.
  • Group remains continuously committed to engaging, listening, and learning from the community in which they are embedded and serve.
  • Increasing Indigenous cultural competency and cultural safety (e.g. eliminating oppression against First Nation, Métis or Inuit peoples and the prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping, and discrimination directed at Indigenous peoples) underpins the mission and strategies of the initiative.
  • Initiative aims to change the status quo by challenging the current social, economic, and political marginalization faced and/or experienced by Indigenous peoples.
  • Group is committed to building capacity and power of the Indigenous community by training, employing, teaching and supporting community members, including children, youth, adults, Elders, and existing and emerging community leaders
  • Group and initiative create opportunities and spaces for Indigenous peoples to be their full selves

* A collective name for the original people within Canada and their descendants. This includes First Nations (status and non-status), Métis and Inuit. Indigenous peoples are not monolithic and represent a broad and diverse spectrum of physiological, geographical, cultural and political traits and histories.

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