Building bridges to advance human rights
In a context of increasing polarization and where community voices are often excluded, it becomes difficult to find effective solutions to human rights issues. Social tensions, lack of dialogue, and isolation limit organizations’ ability to take action.
As a convening and listening organization, Equitas facilitates dialogue between communities, rights organizations, decision-makers, and the private sector around common issues. This allows them to share knowledge and experiences and co-develop concrete actions that strengthen inclusion, justice, and the protection of human rights.
ABOUT OUR EXPERTISE
We build bridges between communities, organizations, decision-makers, and the private sector to advance human rights together. We engage and bring together stakeholders to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing at the local, national, and international levels. Through dialogues, workshops, exchange platforms, and practice networks, we bring together groups with diverse interests around a common issue to co-create concrete and sustainable solutions.
Canadian communities face a variety of issues that directly affect the rights of children, youth, and adults: discrimination, racism, gender inequality, food insecurity, housing crisis, poverty, climate change, access to education and health care, and participation in decisions that affect them. In this context, it is essential to create spaces for dialogue and collaboration to identify concrete solutions.
Community dialogues led by young people
Equitas creates spaces for democratic participation where diverse groups meet and exchange ideas to address the human rights issues that concern them: discrimination, racism, gender inequality, the fight against climate change, etc. Children and youth participate in these exchanges and mobilize members of their community and decision-makers to find concrete solutions to the most pressing issues.
EquiTalks panel discussion
Each year, Equitas organizes a panel discussion bringing together leaders from the community, academic, philanthropic, institutional, and corporate sectors from around the world to discuss a human rights issue: climate justice, economic justice, gender inequality, youth rights, 2SLGBTQI+ issues, etc. EquiTalks creates spaces for dialogue and the sharing of experiences and best practices that contribute to the emergence of concrete solutions to advance human rights.
Everywhere, communities face challenges that limit access to human rights: conflicts, discrimination, inequalities, and violence against human rights defenders. Equitas creates spaces for dialogue and collaboration with communities, local organizations, and decision-makers to co-develop concrete solutions and strengthen inclusion and the protection of human rights.
Community dialogues
Equitas creates spaces for exchange and collaboration in the countries where it carries out projects in partnership with local organizations. Whether in East Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, or North Africa, we bring together community members, civil society organizations, and local decision-makers to enable them to find solutions to the human rights issues that concern them: inclusion of people with disabilities, violence against women, exclusion of LGBTQI+ people, participation in democratic life, etc.
Resilience Network
The Resilience Network is an initiative led by Resilient Societies in partnership with Equitas. This network aims to become a global platform for reorganization, advocacy, and solidarity for human rights defenders, democracy practitioners, and civil society actors at risk. It supports and accelerates the adaptation, mobility, and reorganization efforts of activists at risk or in exile in host countries, thereby contributing to the resilience of civic space.
WHO WE WORK WITH
We work with a wide variety of partners: community organizations, civil society organizations, schools, municipalities, human rights networks, public institutions, and the private sector, both in Canada and internationally. By bringing together groups with diverse interests around common human rights issues, we promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and innovation to find concrete solutions to advance equality.
STORIES & IMPACT
These exchanges take the form of dialogues, workshops, and community forums. They enable young people, civil society organizations, activists, communities, institutions, the private sector, and decision-makers to collaborate, innovate, and find concrete solutions that strengthen human rights and inclusion wherever we operate.
Our impact in Canada
Our impact around the world
GET INVOLVED
Join our community
Be part of a global community of human rights defenders committed to dignity, equality, and democracy. The Equitas Community offers you a learning space, online courses, practical resources, and forums to discuss human rights issues and collaborate with peers around the world.
Support
Every contribution helps transform lives, promote equality and inclusion, and build a future where human rights are respected.
Support collaboration to find solutions to human rights issues