UNFURLING THE FLAG - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION...

The Unfurling The Flagproject studied racial minority participation in municipal politics in Hamilton-Wentworth.

Funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the project which was sponsored by the Working Group on Racial Equity, ran until March 31, 2000.

GOALS...

The goals of the project were

• to develop an improved understanding of the barriers and factors experienced by male and female racial minority participants in municipal politics in Hamilton-Wentworth since 1974.
• to facilitate the development of a community action plan(s) to promote and increase civic participation in municipal politics in Hamilton-Wentworth.

RESULTS...

• The research project developed learnings that will promote public awareness, understanding of and informed dialogue about multiculturalism, racial and cultural diversity in Canada.
• It provides research data, analyses, recommendations and action strategies for empowering everyone to participate fully and actively in Canadian society.
• It is expected to enhance the abilities of public institutions to reach out to and include everyone in the political life in the region even more effectively.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES...

• the development of resources and strategies for future elections
• the development of community leadership
• increase in civic participation
• more inclusive and responsive municipal decision-making bodies

  METHODOLOGY...

  The participatory research study interviewed past candidates from racial minority communities about their experiences running for municipal office in Hamilton-Wentworth since it became a region in 1974. The project included holding a planning session with the past candidates, and a roundtable with the community to develop community action plans for increasing racial minority participation in the following elections.

  AUDIENCE...

  The final report contains materials that may interest

  • Past candidates
  • Political aspirants
  • Politicians
  • Regional bureaucrats
  • Regional committees
  • Community organisations
  • Researchers
  • Political parties
  • Unions
  • Campaign and political staff
  • Policy planners
  • Social developers
  • Activists

FINAL REPORT STRUCTURE...

The Introductory section includes the executive summary. The Introduction supplies the context of the project need in Hamilton-Wentworth. It discusses some of the research gaps. Some concepts and theories on political participation and racial minorities are also discussed.

The Project Description section gives a detailed account of how the research was planned and executed. It describes the methodology and processes used for collecting and analysing research data, It includes comments from the interviews, notes from the planning session with past candidates, and from the community roundtable held on March 11, 2000. A summary of the project evaluation is attached.

The Barriers Analyses section identifies and analyses, in the light of existing data, the barriers that racial minority candidates experienced. Recommendations are followed by a Selected Bibliography.

The Resources section includes a glossary. It provides some backgrounders on the issues facing racial minorities in the region. Issues pertaining to political participation are included. Campaign guides and tips on electoral strategies are also attached. Please note that this section is not available in the electronic copy that you can download from this site.

FINDINGS...

The study found that male and female racial minority candidates faced several barriers in their bid to share power at the municipal level in the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth. The study isolated four types of major barriers that the respondents encountered in the regional political process. The barrier types are: Individual, Campaign, Community and Systemic.

INDIVIDUAL

• AGE
• NAME
• GENDER
• RACIAL IDENTITY
• LEVELS OF ACCULTURATION
• SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

CAMPAIGN

• PREVIOUS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE
• MOTIVATION
• PLATFORMS AND ISSUES
• FAMILY AND SUPPORT NETWORKS
• RACIAL IDENTIFYING
• CAMPAIGN PLANNING AND STRATEGY
• CAMPAIGN TACTICS / VOTER CONTACT TECHNIQUES
• FUNDRAISING AND LEVEL OF CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURE
• CAMPAIGN WORKERS1 INVOLVEMENT
• OVERT RACISM AND SEXISM
• POLITICAL PARTY SUPPORT
• UNION SUPPORT

COMMUNITY

• LACK OF ROLE MODELS / MENTORS
• COMMUNITY MAPPING AND GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSAL
• LACK OF A COMMUNITY CENTRE
• LACK OF COMMUNITY POLITICAL ORGANISATION
• COMMUNITY PRESENCE/ FAILURE TO EXERT POWER
• COMMUNITY TOXICITY AND TENSIONS

SYSTEMIC

• DISINCENTIVES TO RUN
• INCUMBENCY
• FAMILY TIES / NAME RECOGNITION
• COLONIALISM AND PAROCHIALISM: "NOT CANADIAN ENOUGH"
• RELIGION
• THE MEDIA
• THE CULTURE OF MUNICIPAL POLITICS
• THE MAYOR1S COMMITTEE AGAINST RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION
• ELECTORAL SYSTEMS
• RESTRUCTURING

 

NOTE: Working Group recommendations follow the discussion of barriers.