Strategic Foresight & Innovation receives Canadian Race Relations Foundation recognition
Thursday, November 6, 2014 - 5:00am
OCAD University’s Strategic Foresight & Innovation (SFI) Master of Design program has received an honourable mention from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) Awards of Excellence for SFI’s “Designed Diversity” program and practice.
“Designed Diversity is a practice we developed in the SFI program — an intentional act of designing the diversity of our cohorts, faculty, curriculum content and its delivery,” explained OCAD University Assistant Professor Nabil Harfoush. “This practice is rooted in the recognition that in order to be innovative and to solve complex problems you need to maximize diversity in every dimension. It shifts the discourse about diversity from a moral/ethical imperative to a fundamental requirement for the success of any organization in innovation and renewal.”
The CRRF Awards of Excellence pays tribute to public, private and voluntary organizations whose efforts represent best practices in building awareness and understanding of Canadian values and identity that are reflective of Canadian diversity and respectful race relations. Best practices represent programs, strategies or initiatives that have demonstrated promise, success and social impact.
“We applaud the stellar work that is being done by all the organizations, as they strive towards the fulfillment of the Canadian values of respect for equality, diversity, inclusivity and belonging,” said Toni Silberman, Chair, CRRF Awards of Excellence Jury Panel.
The Awards of Excellence dinner will take place on November 18 at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. The Awards dinner is part of the Foundation's biennial symposium, which is dedicated to Canadian values, identity and belonging, along with the mutuality of citizenship rights and responsibilities.
The SFI program’s Designed Diversity Best Practice initiative will become part of the CRRF’s
ongoing program of building awareness and understanding of Canadian values and identity that are reflective of Canadian diversity.
OCAD University’s Strategic Foresight & Innovation (SFI) Master of Design program has received an honourable mention from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) Awards of Excellence for SFI’s “Designed Diversity” program and practice.
“Designed Diversity is a practice we developed in the SFI program — an intentional act of designing the diversity of our cohorts, faculty, curriculum content and its delivery,” explained OCAD University Assistant Professor Nabil Harfoush. “This practice is rooted in the recognition that in order to be innovative and to solve complex problems you need to maximize diversity in every dimension. It shifts the discourse about diversity from a moral/ethical imperative to a fundamental requirement for the success of any organization in innovation and renewal.”
The CRRF Awards of Excellence pays tribute to public, private and voluntary organizations whose efforts represent best practices in building awareness and understanding of Canadian values and identity that are reflective of Canadian diversity and respectful race relations. Best practices represent programs, strategies or initiatives that have demonstrated promise, success and social impact.
“We applaud the stellar work that is being done by all the organizations, as they strive towards the fulfillment of the Canadian values of respect for equality, diversity, inclusivity and belonging,” said Toni Silberman, Chair, CRRF Awards of Excellence Jury Panel.
The Awards of Excellence dinner will take place on November 18 at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. The Awards dinner is part of the Foundation's biennial symposium, which is dedicated to Canadian values, identity and belonging, along with the mutuality of citizenship rights and responsibilities.
The SFI program’s Designed Diversity Best Practice initiative will become part of the CRRF’s
ongoing program of building awareness and understanding of Canadian values and identity that are reflective of Canadian diversity.