Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Environmental racism
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This case story describes the experience of the Nova Scotia-based Environmental Noxiousness, Racial Inequities and Community Health (ENRICH) project in advocating against environmental racism that impacts Mi'kmaq and African-Canadian communities.
"Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate location of industrial polluters such as landfills, trash incinerators, coal plants, toxic waste facilities and other environmentally hazardous activities near to communities of colour and the working poor.” (ENRICH project website: http://www.enrichproject.org/)
The ENRICH project uses the range of public health advocacy roles described in Let’s Talk: Advocacy and health equity.
Role 1 Framing the issue of environmental racism in the community and through media advocacy
Role 2 Gathering and disseminating data using a community based research approach to conduct and disseminate research on the causes, effects and solutions to environmental racism
Role 3 Working in collaboration and developing alliances by establishing a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral project team
Role 4 Using the legal and regulatory system: The ENRICH project team has worked with a sitting politician to submit Bill 111: An Act to Address Environmental Racism in the Nova Scotia Legislature.
Use this resource to:
- Integrate an advocacy approach into your health equity activities
- Develop a health equity framework or strategy for your organization
- Support a conversation in your organization on approaches to address racism and identify potential partners in addressing environmental racism
Other resources in the "Learning from Practice" series:
- Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Hamilton Public Health Services
- Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Food security
- Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Generation Squeeze
Related resources:
- Let’s Talk: Advocacy and health equity
- Let's Talk: Racism and health equity
- Key public health resources for advocacy and health equity: A curated list
Reference:
National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2017). Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Environmental racism. Antigonish, NS: National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, St. Francis Xavier University.
Tags: Community engagement, Environmental health, Healthy public policy, Indigenous health, Racism/racialization, Planetary health, Participate in policy development, Document, Case Study, Learning from Practice