Common Law Section Creates Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Fund for Student Initiatives

By Common Law

Communication, Faculty of Law

Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
Common Law Section Creates Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Fund for Student Initiatives
The Common Law Section is pleased to announce the creation of the Common Law Section Students Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Action Fund to support community enhancement initiatives stewarded by students from Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities. The Fund will also support students engaged in the development and implementation of projects, partnerships or events that promote anti-racism initiatives at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section.

“The Common Law Section recognizes that intersectional forms of systemic racism, including systemic anti-Black racism and systemic anti-Indigenous racism and colonialism, has had, and continues to have, adverse effect on Black, Indigenous and racialized communities,” Dean Adam Dodek stated. 

The Common Law Section Students Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Fund is part of the Common Law Section’s efforts to deepen its commitment to racial justice and improving access to justice. 

We are proud to count the diverse and dedicated students in the University of Ottawa Common Law Section among the members of the OBA’s own community and commend the University for taking this comprehensive step as part of a broader, multi-faceted approach to combatting systemic racism. Creating new platforms and opportunities for future leaders-in-law from all backgrounds shows a deep commitment to effecting meaningful and measurable progress in advancing authentic inclusion in the legal profession and the broader justice sector, and it’s one we are pleased to support.”

- Charlene Theodore, OBA President

Through the community enhancement stream, funding will be available to students or groups from Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section for student-led community enhancement initiatives during the Summer 2021 and the 2021-22 academic year.  

Through the anti-racism action stream, funding will be available to students or groups from all communities within the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section for student-led anti-racism initiatives during the Summer 2021 Term and the 2021-22 academic year.  

The Common Law Section Students Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Fund is intended to support an array of activities including costs affiliated with student-led programming and events, materials for creative work and cultural production and professional development and workshop fees affiliated with anti-racist work. The Fund will generally contribute $500 to $1000 to support projects and initiatives proposed by individual students and student-led groups.  A total of $10,000 is available for each of the Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Winter 2021 terms.  

You may read the student reactions to the announcement of the creation of the Common Law Section Students Community Enhancement and Anti-Racism Action Fund.

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of a majority of Black, Indigenous, and racialized students, faculty, and staff.  More information on the Fund is available here.