The Global News article Hamilton anti-hate coalition to launch ‘No Hate in the Hammer’ campaign describes the start of the coalition, and names the three founding organizations: Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, and the John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area.

The founding organizations came together not to lead a coalition but to provide a space in which community-based leadership could develop.

The steering committee is a self-selected group of individuals and organizations which currently numbers about 30. Some folks may be attached to organizations but not necessarily “officially representing” that organization at the steering committee, while others are acting as liaisons for an organizational membership.

The membership application form illustrates the broadness of the NHH umbrella: membership (in the coalition) involves a commitment two statements and the making of a specific personal commitment of action against hate. The steering committee is made up of those members who have decided to be part of the NHH work at the steering level.

The summit program was developed for community members in Hamilton who know they want to take and active role in anti-racism and anti-oppression work.

There is no existing knowledge requirement for participating in the conference. It’s meant to be a place where we can come together to share what we know about hate and build a community response.

The full conference program will be released in early May.

The summit learning objectives outline what we hope participants will walk away with:

• Understand and be able to explain what hate is and where hate comes from
• Understand how pervasive organized hate is in Hamilton and the targets of hate in Hamilton
• Understand why anti-hate work is relevant as a Canadian and as a “good” person
• Have new skills to respond to hate individually and collectively, in different contexts like schools, faith communities, family gatherings, and professional life

In addition to this learning, we hope to each walk away with a renewed commitment to personal action and a stronger understanding of the power of collective action.

The US Embassy & Consulates in Canada offers a funding opportunity called the Democracy, Diversity and Human Rights Virtual Grant Program intended to carry out virtual programs to strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and Canada on Democracy, Diversity and Human Rights.

This program has provided funding that allows us to invite speakers from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Western States Center to join our local conversation on collective action against the rise of hate. These expert voices in the historical roots of hate from the United States context and effective interventions against hate are a welcome addition to the local and regional experts who will be discussing the Canadian context and the reality on the ground in Hamilton.

The funding from the embassy and consulates program extends to the technical platform, the professional conference supports, and honorariums to local speakers that are allowing No Hate in the Hammer to offer no-cost participation to a conference that would otherwise have a ticket price over $100.

US Embassy and Consulates in Canada have had no role in planning Listen Learn Act and funding from the UECC grant was not made with any restrictions on the content or message of the summit.

All policy statements made by No Hate in the Hammer can be found online at nohateinthehammer.ca. To date there have been none on the subject of US foreign policy.