ActionDignity

Welcome our new member: Yemenia Women & Families Association of Calgary (YWFA). YWFA is a non-profit, community-based organization established by Yemeni Canadian women to support, empower, and uplift their community in Calgary. Rooted in shared values of unity, resilience, and cultural pride, YWFA is a welcoming hub for women and families navigating life in Canada.

Learn more about the organization: https://www.yemeniawomen.ca/

Too often, conversations about youth legal issues happen without youth in the room. At the Youth Justice Project, we believe meaningful change begins by listening to young people, valuing their lived experiences, and ensuring their voices shape solutions.

Last Saturday, we hosted a Community Conversation Circle (CCC) with youth from our member organization Altamas Relief and Development Foundation. The CCC created a safe, inclusive space where youth reflected on legal challenges and systemic barriers in accessing justice while proposing community-driven solutions.

We are glad to see that through restorative and equity-informed dialogue, participants strengthened legal awareness, identified barriers, and contributed recommendations to help build a more inclusive and fair youth justice system.

To learn more about the conversation: https://actiondignity.org/news/

We were honoured to welcome representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to our office yesterday for a meaningful conversation on the progress and impact of our Brokers Bridge Builder (BBB) Project.

Thank you to Director Melanie Holmgren, Assistant Director Yann Legrand, Manager Alex Racine, and Language Supervisor Kerry Morgan from the IRCC settlement team for taking the time to connect with us and learn more about the project’s early outcomes and community impact.

Our discussion highlighted the importance of community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and systems innovation in improving access to settlement services for newcomer communities.

We are grateful for the opportunity to share the ongoing work of the BBB Project and the collective efforts toward building more inclusive and responsive support systems for newcomers.

Eid Mubarak to those celebrating! May this blessed day bring peace, joy and prosperity to you and your loved ones!

Check out our newly released Anti-Racism blog series: What is Systemic Racism?

This blog post shares how we can understand systemic racism by looking at the non-recognition of foreign credentials as a prime example. We examine the following:

✅The three main elements of racism
✅Differences between interpersonal, structural, and systemic racism
✅The non-recognition of foreign credentials as an example of systemic racism, indicated by:
Lived experiences
Researched pattern of behaviour
Impacts on racialized communities
✅Ways to get involved in anti-racism systems change to impact this problem.

Read the blog here: https://actiondignity.org/blog/

Sharing a great initiative from our member organization: Calgary Newcomers Guide!

This free 4‑week, in‑person program is designed to help newcomers build confidence in managing their finances and navigating the Canadian financial system. Key topics include:

✅Budgeting and saving
✅Credit and debt management
✅Fraud prevention
✅Financial planning for families

Register Now:
https://forms.office.com/r/ULe3E1sRsa

We’re excited to welcome a new member organization to our network — the Calgary Justice Film Festival (CJFF)!

From a small community gathering in 2005 to a city-wide festival today, CJFF has grown into a powerful platform for storytelling and change. Through film and visual arts, they spark dialogue, build awareness, and invite audiences to reflect on justice issues that matter deeply in our communities and around the world.

We look forward to the impact we can create together.
Learn more: https://justicefilmfestival.ca/

✨ We are excited to share that ActionDignity was honoured to receive the "Best Community-Driven Systems Transformation NPO 2026 - Canada" award from Acquisition International!

For over 20 years, ActionDignity has been working at the community, organization, and government levels to address social and economic inequities faced by racialized communities. Our programs are informed by the Water of Systems Change Model through an anti-racism lens to address equity issues, including social and economic participation, access to mental health services, fair treatment of temporary foreign workers, youth and inclusive public safety.

🌟 Sincere gratitude to all the supporters who are part of the meaningful work. Our collective progress is only possible through our solidarity.

https://www.acquisition-international.com/winners/action-dignity-society/

Check out the Seniors Week Celebrations Event on June, 4, 2026.