ADVOCACY
The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers BC’s Advocacy Committee is dedicated to carrying out FACL BC’s mandate to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the wider community.
We recognize that there are intersections between Asian communities and many equity-seeking groups. We aim to address intersecting forms of oppression and work in solidarity with other equity-seeking groups and organizations that align with our mandate.
Contact
Email: advocacy@faclbc.ca
Committee Chair: Mark Iyengar
Vice President (External): Afifa Hashimi
Collaboration and Consultation
We aim to connect and collaborate with others who align with our mandate. If your organization or group would like to connect with us to consult or explore opportunities for collaboration, please contact us at advocacy@faclbc.ca.
Political Engagement
Political engagement is a part of our advocacy work. We have engaged with ministers and other government officials to discuss issues impacting the Asian-Canadian legal community and the wider community. We also engage with stakeholders and ministers on a provincial level to address issues related to systemic racism.
Events
The Advocacy Committee hosts a variety of informative and interactive events. Our events provide forums for public dialogue on topics related to equity and justice. Through events, we engage with the legal community and stakeholders in community and government.
Some of our recent online events:
Navigating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: The Power to Create Boundaries
Supportive Relationships Dialogue Series: Current Strategies for Fostering Reconciliation & Dismantling Colonial Approaches, presented by the CBABC in partnership with the University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law - Indigenous Legal Studies and FACL BC
Trauma-Informed Lawyering with Myrna McCallum: Working with Asian Communities
BIPOC Women in Law: Navigating Race, Gender and Equity in the Legal Profession
Resources
We create educational content, including resource guides:
BC Courts’ Pronouns Practice Directives: What You Need to Know - May 2021
Anti-Asian Racism and Hate Incidents Resource List - March 2021
Amplifying Asian Women in Law: A FACL BC International Women’s Day Resource List & Instagram post - March 2021
Do you know whose land you are on? A FACL BC Resource List & Instagram post - February 2021
FACL BC Resource List for Black History Month & Instagram post - February 2021
Resource List to Support Black Communities - June 2020
Written Advocacy
FACL BC publishes statements in response to events and issues.
FACL BC Statement on the Anti-Asian Fatal Shootings in Georgia, USA - March 18, 2021
FACL BC Statement on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia - January 29, 2021
Statement on the Government of Canada's Fall Economic Statement 2020 - December 11, 2020
FACL BC Statement on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women - December 6, 2020
FACL BC Statement on Anti-Black Racism and Recent Events in Canada and the US - June 3, 2020
We also sign onto statements and letters that further our mandate.
To view a full list of our statements, click here.
Documentary
The Advocacy Committee is involved in creating FACL BC’s documentary, But I Look Like a Lawyer, which is about discrimination, stereotyping and bias experienced by members of the Pan-Asian legal community. Visit https://faclbc.ca/documentary to learn more.