a new grassroots network in Greater Victoria established in 2004 of approximately 100 women and girls from the ages of about 13 and up. We represent diverse ages, ethnic and religious backgrounds, professions, and affiliations in the community.

As a grassroots, voluntary based organization of racialised minority and Aboriginal girls and women, Anti-dote is committed to:

• Increasing psychological and social well-being of racialised minority and Aboriginal women and girls in their schools, social service organizations, families and in our communities;
• Promoting visibility and needs of racialised minority and Aboriginal women and girls in the greater community;
• Promoting community development and social change through participatory action approaches at the local level, which places decision-making and planning in the hands of those who will participate in and who will be directly affected by the initiative.

A major catalyst for the formation of our network was a SSHRC funded community-based, participatory action research project on Racialised Girls and Social Cohesion under the direction of Dr. Jo-Anne Lee (Department of Women's Studies - University of Victoria) beginning in Spring 2001. Focusing on community development, the study's research team and participants brought minority and Aboriginal girls together to talk about their issues in a July 2002 conference held at the University of Victoria: It's About Us: A Conference for Girls on Race and Identities. The girls and women at this conference wanted an organization to continue the work that the conference began; leading to the creation of Anti-dote.

Dr. Jo-Anne Lee's study confirmed that racialised minority women and girls, whether immigrant, refugee, or Canadian born, experience isolation from each other and marginalization in the larger community. Isolation and the erasure of ethnic/racial identities under a dominant culture of whiteness helps to develop an ambiguous sense of citizenship and belonging.

Aboriginal girls and women, and immigrant, refugee and racialised minority Canadian-born girls and women share many common concerns. Yet, these two groups are isolated from each other. Government and non-government organizations tend not to take seriously the specific concerns of racialised minority and Aboriginal women and girls. As a result, many racialised minority and Aboriginal women and girls internalize negative social messages, viewing themselves as second-class citizens with fewer rights than the dominant groups. This belief is contrary to Canadian principles of liberal democracy where citizenship rights, responsibilities and benefits are supposedly universally accessible to all citizens, and all citizens are thought and expected to belong to and identify with the nation.

Processes and effects of social exclusion and marginalization are experienced at many levels in Victoria:

• Individually, at the level of identity formation, young women tend to internalize experiences of racism and sexism, as normal and natural. Consequently, young women may experience risk factors such as poor self-esteem, social isolation, depression, substance use, disordered eating and suicide, violence and prostitution.
• At the group level, some youth cling to their ethnic difference as a form of defense-forming racially or ethnically exclusive peer groups.
• At the local level, few services in educational institutions or youth service organizations support racialised immigrant, refugee and Canadian-born youth, and Aboriginal youth, especially those who are female. Research practitioners and school counselors often fail to understand the circumstances of their lives. Advice and supports given may be tokenistic or inappropriate, further alienating youth from the systems that are supposed to work on their behalf.

Anti-dote works to build community networks and self-advocacy among girls and women. We work to uncover unspoken experiences and help bring about social justice and equality, and foster respect for diversity.

Our work benefits everyone but especially:

• Racialised minority and Aboriginal women and girls and their families living in Greater Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island.
• Women's organizations in Victoria and youth and family service organizations including those that provide immigrant settlement services, health, social services and welfare, housing, education, employment and training
• Schools and youth in general
• Policy makers, educators, the media and the general community in Southern Vancouver Island.

• Research
• Training in Anti-Racism
• Training Workshops in Identity Formation and Citizenship
• Workshops that Build Skills and Knowledge
• Policy and Service Advocacy
• Peer Support
• Parent and Auntie Support
• Outreach to the Community
• Practicum placements for university and college students and CAPP hours for high school students

Our programs helped youth to speak in their own voices at local, provincial and national conferences and media, such as:

Multi-racial Families Network Powercamp National Canadian Council for Refugees (Montreal and Victoria) Mount Douglas High School Peer Helpers Tolerance Now Oak Bay High Changes- Youth Empowerment Kumet Lumem Child and Youth Services ICA Women's Group

Provincial Forum on Youth Sexual Exploitation Panel Discussion on International Schools at University of Victoria Week to Eliminate Racism- Photo display and discussion International Health Science Conference CBC Morning Radio, Monday Magazine, CFVB, The Martlett, Third Space

Our Activities for Girls and Young Women Helps Build Leadership Skills, Positive Self-Esteem and Critical Thinking:

Girls' Club Shoot This Photography workshop Stitch and Bitch Storytelling

Popular Theatre Documentary Film Making Leadership Training Volunteer Programs

Our Ongoing Research Programs Help Contribute New Knowledge. Current Research Projects Include:

• Immigrant/ Refugee Girls as Caregivers to Siblings: Issues of Health, Education, Employment, Social Inclusion, etc.
• International Girl Students and Their Human Rights
• Social Cohesion and Intersectionality of Race, Class & Gender
• Aboriginal and Immigrant and Refugee Girls' Relationships
• Are They Being Served? An Investigation into Services for Racialised and Aboriginal Girls in Victoria

Executive Director - Winnie Chow

Board Members

President - Dr. Jo-Anne Lee

President Elect - Jin-Sun Yoon

Secretary - Sandrina Definney

Treasurer - Kemi Craig

Media Representative - Rita Kozma

Youth Representative - Tsigereda Baye

Webmistress - Kathleen Reed

(Current: 2005)

Community Partners Who Supported or Worked With Us: Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria University of Victoria, Department of Women's Studies University of Victoria School of Child and Youth Care University of Victoria Students of Colour Collective University of Victoria Native Student Union Camosun College First Nations' Community Program Voices Heard anti-racism youth theatre project University of Victoria Women's Centre Women Unlimited- Outdoor Adventure Training Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre (Project Respect) Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group CFUV 101.5 FM (University of Victoria campus radio) Black History Awareness Society School District 61 Victoria St. Margaret's School St. Michael's School Multi-racial Families Network Powercamp National Cinevic Film Society

University of Victoria Academic Associates: Dr. Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw (School of Child and Youth Care) Dr. Xiaobei Chen (School of Social Work) Dr. Cheryl Lans (History) Dr. Lorna Williams (Aboriginal Education) Jin-Sun Yoon (School of Child and Youth Care) Sandrina de Finney (School of Child and Youth Care) Dr. Jo-Anne Lee (Department of Women's Studies) Current and Past Funders: Status of Women Canada Human Early Learning Program Individual and Community Donations Social Science and Humanities Research Council

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH REPORTS,
EMAIL: antidote_victoria@ymca.ca

This information is available for downloading in Adobe Acrobat PDF format