Hearing from community groups: Designing Restorative Engagement on Systemic Racism

March 25, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time - 1:07

The Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) has launched phase 2 of consultations on the design and implementation of Restorative Engagement on System Racism. In this phase, the SMSRC will invite selected internal and external partners, advocacy and advisory groups, and subject matter experts to gather their insights.

The invited partners will share their perspective and expertise to inform the program's development. This input, along with what we heard in phase 1 from CAF members and Veterans who experienced racial discrimination and racial harassment during their service, will help shape the Restorative Engagement Program on Systemic Racism. This program will:

• Provide class members with opportunities where they are supported to share their experiences, impacts and insights of racial discrimination, and racial harassment.
• Create opportunities for representatives of the CAF to acknowledge, understand, learn from class members' experiences of racial discrimination and racial harassment, and take responsibility on behalf of the institution, for its causes and responses.
• Support class members and CAF representatives to identify lessons learned and to take action to contribute to broader CAF culture evolution efforts.
• Use a restorative approach as a response to harm, and to build an inclusive and respectful institutional culture now and into the future.

The development of Restorative Engagement on Systemic Racism is built on the SMSRC's experience in designing and delivering the Restorative Engagement program on Sexual Misconduct. To reflect this expanded mandate, the SMSRC will soon be changing its name.

For more information, visit: Restorative Engagement on Systemic Racism.