Together, we can overcome
hate and violence.
Together, we can overcome hate and violence.
United for All is a coalition of organizations, community leaders, and people with lived experience committed to overcoming hate in East Ontario. Together, we share the mission of building safe, compassionate, resilient communities for everyone.
Since 2016, this growing partnership has brought together social service agencies, faith-based organizations, policymakers, human rights groups, health providers, school boards and post-secondary institutions, grassroots social justice groups, criminal justice professionals, cultural groups and more.
Through joint planning and coordination, United for All proactively supports and coordinates action that addresses system-wide issues resulting in hate, violence, and extremism.
WHO WE ARE
- Participating community partners bring a blend of expertise and involvement in different sectors. The group’s expertise includes anti-Black racism, diversity, academia, gender-based violence and violence prevention, health and mental health, journalism, psychology, security, and refugee settlement.
- Members build and strengthen partnerships to empower community-wide collaboration to prevent and address hate.
- The steering committee reviews and updates United for All’s strategic direction, supports research initiatives, and shares best practices about preventing and addressing hate.
- Champions supports the coalition’s work, advocates for common causes and system change, and serves as a voice and a mechanism to convene when hate, violence and extremism emerge in the community.
- United Way East Ontario serves as the backbone for United for All. United Way convenes the coalition, coordinates meetings and communication, identifies research and grant opportunities, and provides capacity–building support. United Way also supports and mobilizes the table of champions.
UPCOMING EVENTS
LATEST NEWS AND STORIES
Our Director of Community Initiatives Cameron Ketchum talks about coming together to address the root causes of hate as polarization intensifies in Ottawa and surrounding areas.
On October 1, United for All hosted a discussion with scholars Omar Dajani and Mira Sucharov on solidarity, empathy, and dialogue amidst the Gaza crisis and rising hate crimes locally.
United Way checks in with Jewish Family Services and Muslim Family Services of Ottawa more than eight months after we responded to their communities’ needs for access to low-cost, culturally appropriate mental health services, due to violence in Gaza and Israel.
Concentric Circles of Care empowers marginalized youth though sport, art, and crucial conversations, thanks to United Way.
United for All partners are disheartened to see anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric guiding the “1 Million March 4 Children” event on Parliament Hill this morning.
WHERE WE CAME FROM
- Following an increase in hate-based incidents and hate crimes in late 2016, United Way East Ontario brought together community leaders and organizations to address hate and violence at a local level.
- In 2017, the group launched discussions to identify root causes and potential solutions to counter intolerance in Ottawa.
- The coalition publicly launched its work in November 2019.
- Informed by community consultations, the coalition produced its first Action Plan in March 2020, focused on the city of Ottawa.
- In 2021, United Way broadened engagement into Prescott-Russell, Lanark County, and Renfrew County, to strengthen the region-wide approach.
- In 2023, United for All struck a Steering Committee to replace its Rapid Response Committee, signaling a stronger focus on hate prevention and planning.
- In late 2023, United Way made an investment of $30,000 into hate prevention and community resilience programs. This investment kickstarted the Building Bridges learning series, to foster dialogue and intercultural understanding in the face of rising hate.
- After a hiatus to refocus on planning and prevention, United for All re-launched its Champions Table and coalition meetings in 2024.
- In late 2024, United for All was named a recipient of the Safer and Vital Communities Grant to expand and deepen the Building Bridges learning series.
GET IN TOUCH
Our vision is that communities across Prescott-Russell, Ottawa, Lanark County and Renfrew County are strong, safe, and inclusive for all. Together, we can overcome hate and violence.
For more information or to get involved, please contact United Way East Ontario’s Senior Manager, Healthy People Strong Communities.
