The Center for Research-Action on Race Relations is a Montreal-based independent, non-profit public interest organization that was founded in 1983 with the mandate to promote racial harmony and equality in Canada. It is considered as one of the leading non-profit race relations organizations in Canada.
CRARR receives technical and financial support from a wide range of public and private institutions, unions, educational institutions and individuals.
CRARR is a member of the Court Challenges Program of Canada, the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes du Québec and the Quebec Press Council. It is also part of national networks on media and racial/ethnocultural diversity, hate crimes and employment equity.
CRARR activities and services include:
Advocacy and defense for victims of discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic or national origin, citizenship status and related characteristics: Since 2000, CRARR has represented and assisted more than 180 persons in different cities before administrative and common law tribunals, regulatory bodies and statutory human rights agencies.
Charter research and litigation on racial equality issues: Since 2000, CRARR has been involved in litigation related to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on a wide range of issues including employment discrimination, labor representation, media racism regulation, biased judicial conduct and hate crimes.
Awards: The bi-annual Frederick Johnson Award to honor an individual or a non-profit organization that has achieved outstanding results in fighting racism. Its 2002 recipient is Mr. Hank Avery, an African Canadian teacher in St-Armand-Phillipsburg, Quebec who mobilized local citizens for the recognition of a Black slaves’ cemetery in that region.
Conferences, consultations and seminars on different race relations and equality rights issues: Recent CRARR conferences addressed racial profiling and civil rights (2003) and media, racism and civil rights (2004).
Research-action projects on systemic racism and on racial minorities’ needs: Recent research-action projects include systemic racism in cultural funding and Charter strategies on media discrimination (2004).
Interventions and advocacy before legislative, administrative, regulatory and judicial agencies: Interventions include testimonies before legislative committees on private security legislation, immigration and racial profiling in video camera surveillance (2004). Recent advocacy work includes support to Mothers United Against Racism (2003) and the creation of an anti-racist Media Action Média operation (2004).
Center for Research-Action on Race Relations
460, St-Catherine West
Suite 610
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3B 1A7
514.939.3342
Fax: 514.939.9763
crarr@primus.ca
www.crarr.org
Founded in 1983
