Mapping
our future

The Michaëlle Jean Foundation (FMJF), in collaboration with the Federation of Black Canadians and the Somali Centre for Family Services, invites Black community members, grassroots groups, and the general public to attend the second National Black Canadians Summit. It will be a historic opportunity to celebrate Black History Month and mark the UN International Decade for People of African Descent (2014-2024). The event is part of a major national gathering taking place in Ottawa named

4 Days, 4 Nights: Mapping our Future - Face to Face with our Lawmakers. The mobilization will enable Black communities to raise awareness about major challenges they face and to open a national conversation on ways to enhance social cohesion, inclusive, equitable and sustainable development. 
Since 2014, the FMJF has developed an initiative called the 4th Wall, designed to empower underserved youth, aged 16 to 30. The initiative, which uses the arts and education as tools for social change, has reached hundreds of young people, mostly facing social exclusion including Aboriginal, street-involved, Muslim, LGBTQ and Black youth. The goal is simple. Through partnerships with museums and cultural institutions, the arts, creativity and education can open spaces for dialogue, and public forums can break down solitudes, connect underserved youth directly to citizens from all walks of life who express themselves, share ideas, and develop innovative solutions and initiatives to improve their living conditions and revitalize their communities. It is in this context that was born the first National Black Canadians Summit, which the Michaëlle Jean Foundation organized in collaboration with the Toronto Library in 2017. It was also on this occasion that the Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) was formalized. The event also enabled the 800 Summit participants to develop a 2017-2024 Canada-wide strategy to fulfil the objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent, through a roadmap for communities, the public sector and the private sector can consider jointly to advance concrete solutions to the needs and challenges facing Black Communities across Canada.
This year, on the eve of the 2019 federal election, hundreds attending the four days and four nights of mobilization, networking, and planning will also join in face-to-face meetings with elected officials from all political parties. They will use the Canadian Strategy, which draws on the strengths of initiatives across the country, to identify gaps in existing programs, and prioritize areas where government supports needs to be strengthened. Videos completed by young filmmakers from Black communities, who participated in the Jam Sessions, organized by the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, will offer yet another opportunity to give voice to young people so that they can inform a national anti-racism strategy. The Summit offers a chance to meet directly with elected officials and political decision-makers, over four days in Ottawa. It also allows participants to determine where the different political parties stand on taking concrete steps to eradicate racial barriers and all forms of discrimination by promoting shared growth and opportunities for economic and social development for all Canadians, including Black communities.