York Region Community Dialogue
In Phase 1 we worked with local partners to bring together knowledgeable and experienced professional and volunteer community leaders. Each Community Dialogue took half a day and there were eight of them held between November 2007 and March 2008:
In advance of each Community Dialogue, participants were asked to complete an online survey about the benefits of having a culturally diverse base of volunteers, their organization’s current practices, challenges, etc. During each Community Dialogue, participants found out about the survey responses in their region as well as responses from other regions.
The Community Dialogues provided an opportunity to identify existing resources and/or work being done on diversity issues in each of the communities. Community Dialogue participants also identified issues and needs related to the recruitment and support of a more diverse volunteer base and indicated what additional tools, resources and strategies would be helpful.
Another strategic outcome of the Community Dialogues was the identification of partnerships and relationships that can be later tapped into for the implementation of strategies and development of resource materials.
