Creating Communities of Care Blog

A beautiful short video capturing highlights when some African-Nova Scotian and Indigenous women leaders and educators in our province came together to share knowledge and tackle the roots of gender-based violence in their communities.

In addition to living under pandemic restrictions, women of African descent have experienced anti-Black racism and gender-based violence for too long.

The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre opened in 1973 in Halifax, as a welcoming place for Indigenous people to gather and seek support and solace. Almost 50 years on, it remains a lively vibrant place, a landmark in the North End of Halifax, and a partner in Creating Communities of Care, a project to support urban Indigenous and African Nova Scotian women who have experienced violence.

Our member organization E Fry continues to provide support and care during a pandemic:   Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia: “We can’t shut our doors”

MLSN, together with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, the Association of Black Social Workers and the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia are partners in “Creating Communities of Care”, a government-funded project launched in 2018 to support African Nova Scotian and Indigenous women experiencing violence in urban Halifax.

Just a week before the CBC reported on the appalling treatment of a First Nations woman at the hands of Halifax police, the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, a Creating Communities of Care partner, highlighted the lack of culturally-sensitive and trauma-responsive approaches in policing. “Our women are afraid of the police”, said staff …

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In order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission made 94 calls to action in areas of Legacy and Reconciliation. I wish to take this opportunity to specify three calls to action for this woman.