TOWARDS AN URBAN CITIZENSHIP FOSTERING THE PARTICIPATION OF ALL - Ville de Montréal
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TOWARDS AN URBAN CITIZENSHIP
FOSTERING THE PARTICIPATION OF ALL
Statement on Montréal’s Diversity and its Participation in City Life
Photo credit of cover page: Manoucheka Lorgis
TOWARDS AN URBAN CITIZENSHIP
FOSTERING THE PARTICIPATION OF ALL
Statement on Montréal’s Diversity
and its Participation in City Life
The statement was adopted by the Members’ Assembly on June 6, 2018.
Members of the CIM
Moussa Sène, President
Sabine Monpierre, 1st Vice President
François Fournier, 2nd Vice President
Wafa Al-Hamed
Rafael Benitez
Coline Camier
Cécile Deschamps
Fanny Guérin
Souleymane Guissé
Stendolph Ismael
Marie-Christine Jeanty
Angela Sierra
Despina Sopurias
Doina Sparionoapte
Members of the Working Committee
Coline Camier
François Fournier
Fanny Guérin
Souleymane Guissé
Moussa Sène
Coordination
Marie-Claude Haince
Research and Writing
David Carpentier
Marie-Claude Haince
Coline Camier
François Fournier
Fanny Guérin Legal Deposit
Souleymane Guissé 978-2-7647-1626-7 – Printed in English
Moussa Sène 978-2-7647-1627-4 – English PDF
Research Graphic Designer
Bochra Manaï Francis Therrien
Collaboration Photo Credits
Orly Nahmias, CIM Member (2012-2018) Manoucheka Lorgis
Romy Schlegel, CIM Member (2015-2018)
Marie-Aline Vadius, CIM Member (2012-2016), CIM Presi- Printing
dent (2016-2018) Sisca
Secretariat Conseil interculturel de Montréal
Christine De Kinder 1550, Metcalfe Street, 14e floor, Office 1424
Montreal (Quebec) H3A 1X6
Linguistic Revisions
Telephone : 514 868-5809
Louise Gauthier
Fax : 514 868-5810
Translation Email : cim@ville.montreal.qc.ca
Phillip Rousseau Website : ville.montreal.qc.ca/cim
Foreword
This report by the Conseil intercultural de Montréal (CIM) is a direct outgrowth of the
outcomes of the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) con-
ference which took place in Montréal in the summer of 2017 under the theme of “Civic
participation.” I applaud CIM for using its mandate to identify areas in which the Ville
de Montréal can fully involve members of the ethno-cultural community in the civic
process. This is especially fitting since members of the ethno-cultural communities
have been engaged in civic participation and by extension, contributing to the growth
and prosperity of the City, since its founding.
CIM has highlighted three of the main issues facing the City and members of the eth-
no-cultural communities: training for municipal civic life; representation within the
City’s political body, departments and services; and the institutionalization of diver-
sity within the City’s administration and everyday functioning. The focus on these is-
sues has resulted in nine recommendations ranging from the necessity for the City to
provide the boroughs with budgets to ensure the participation of all of its citizens to
the obligation to anticipate the potential effects on citizens from the ethno-cultural
communities, in all its regulatory and administrative initiatives, including inscribing a
diversity impact clause in its decision summaries.
The undertaking of the research and resulting report not only accentuates the signifi-
cance of civic participation but underscores the importance of conveying to every adult
and child, of every cultural group, the message that s/he has the same opportunity as
any other individual to fully contribute to the development and prosperity of Montreal.
It is evident that for this to be achieved, ethno-cultural and visible minorities must be
prepared and willing to take full advantage of the opportunities available and, where
none are obviously available, create them. Nevertheless, “preparation” is not simply
being mentally, physically and emotionally ready to serve one’s fellow citizens, it is
also being provided with appropriate education, mentoring, recognition and oppor-
tunity to enter such service. As with all members of society, some will be hugely suc-
cessful and other will falter – this is to be expected and should not be used as a reason
either to deter others from trying, or be interpreted as an indication of the abilities and
worth of the rest of the members of a specific group.
However, this report and its recommendations should not be viewed as an end point, it
should instead be seen as the beginning of an ongoing and continuous conversation – a
conversation which not only needs to be had, but to lead to actionable outcomes.
My hope is that such a conversation will be pursued in a wide-ranging, all-encompass-
ing and respectful manner leading to greater inclusion and better understanding. I, for
my part, will continue to be involved in the process and conversation and will do all in
my power to facilitate better awareness and well-being between all citizens – regard-
less of ethnicity – of this great metropolis.
By Dr. Myrna Lashley
v
Synthesis
The present statement was initiated by the it functions (the administrative and political
members of the Conseil interculturel de Mon- system of governance). This situation should
tréal (CIM). It follows the first steps undertaken compel the administration to think in innova-
at the 2017 Summer conference of the Interna- tive ways about civic training so that its citizens
tional Observatory on Participatory Democracy have a clearer understanding of what munici-
(IOPD), held in Montréal under the banner of pal civic life is about. Second, the observable
“participation without exclusion.” The state- democratic deficit and lack of legitimacy of
ment builds on an initial acknowledgment: Montréal’s public institutions should prompt
Montréal should better promote and foster its the administration to improve its record with
diversity’s municipal civic participation and regards to the representation of diversity with-
assert the social heterogeneity and proximity in them. Third, the handling of the issue itself
of its urban spaces. Doing so would improve its within Montréal’s administrative institutions
compliance with its recently acquired special simply inhibit any thorough consideration of
metropolis status. As such, the CIM objective’s all its ramifications. This third point raises the
in the following statement is to further these is- need to institutionalize a concerted approach to
sues and recommend concrete measures favor- improve the city’s management of diversity.
ing the participation of all. These three observations are largely shared by
The statement presents a brief overview of Mon- most stakeholders. They constitute a solid base
tréal’s diversity through the lenses of citizen for the following nine concrete recommenda-
participation within both its provincial and tions developed by the CIM to reinforce an in-
municipal contexts. It underlines three main clusive and diverse urban citizenship within the
challenges that the city can address. First, there metropolis. The Council therefore recommends
is a general and pervasive unfamiliarity within that the Ville de Montréal:
the population of what the city does and how
Recommendation 1
Introduces practices of participatory budgets, particularly in its boroughs, to foster the
citizen participation of Montréal’s diversity;
Recommendation 2
Ensures financial support of promising initiatives and structuring projects that direct-
ly contribute to enhancing the participation of people of diverse ethnocultural back-
grounds. For example: mentoring and intercultural pairing;
Recommendation 3
Implements a citizenship training initiative geared towards a better understanding of
the administrative and political systems of governance, its issues and the different mo-
dalities of participation of Montréal’s diversity. For example: Cité Elles MTL;
Recommendation 4
Implements a mentoring, or professional sponsorship program, between its elected of-
ficials and the citizens of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. Such efforts would favor,
in the long run, the representation of diversity within different political bodies;
Recommendation 5
Organizes a public consultation on the voting rights of residents to amend the provin-
cial Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities;
viRecommendation 6
Raises awareness with a public campaign dedicated to the valorization of the many
expressions of Montreal’s diversity, its contributions to city life and the fight against
discrimination;
Recommendation 7
Redefine the mandate of the BINAM so that it can more broadly answer the needs of
Montréal’s diversity;
Recommendation 8
Allows the CIM to give the Commission sur le développement social et la diversité three man-
dates a year strictly related to issues of Montréal’s diversity;
Recommendation 9
Anticipates the possible effects of all its regulations and administrative initiatives on
Montréal’s diversity by introducing a diversity impact clause in its decision-making
summaries.
These recommendations take act of the sys- individual ones, which are better aligned with
temic barriers Montréal’s diversity faces with the formal functioning of Montréal public in-
regards to citizen participation. They give stitutions. The latter also convey the prospect
elected officials concrete means to connect of individual empowerment and active citizen-
collective modalities of participation to more ship within Montréal’s diversity.
viiTable of contents Foreword v Synthesis vi Word of the President 2 The CIM’s Mandate 3 Introduction 6 Context 7 Approach 14 Status of the Situation and Highlights 18 Recommendations 26 Acknowledgments 28 References 30 Glossary 33 List of Tables and Figures 36 Annex 1 37
Word from the President
On behalf of all members of the Conseil interculturel de Montréal (CIM), I have the pleasure
of introducing the Statement: Towards an Urban Citizenship Fostering the Participation of All.
Statement on Montréal’s Diversity and its Participation in City Life.
In accordance with its mandate, the CIM has prepared the present statement, based on its con-
sideration that it is imperative for Montréal, which recently acquired the special “Metropolis”
status, to favor the full participation of all its citizens.
In this respect, the CIM proposes in the present statement a reflection and analysis dedicated
to citizen participation with regards to Montréal’s diversity. It estimates that it is important to
identify the issues surrounding the civic participation of this specific population segment and
to draw the attention of elected officials and all Montrealers on its prevalence.
More specifically, blind spots, limits and tensions need to be better ascertained and ultimately
overcome. While current research highlights partial courses of action in response to the chal-
lenges at hand, they unfortunately lack the necessary coherence to adequately delineate the
different issues faced by people of ethnoculturally diverse backgrounds. Thus, more systematic
quantitative and qualitative research are necessary to cover the bigger picture, which is a fun-
damental issue of our plural urban societies.
Thus, this statement aims to contribute to the reflection surrounding the citizen participation
of Montréal’s diversity. It focuses on political participation, and suggests measures to enable
further interventions from municipal elected representatives and decision-makers. In short,
elected officials, the administrative center of the city and representatives from the boroughs,
will hopefully find in the next pages, recommendations that will favor the full civic participa-
tion of all in Montréal’s city life.
Moussa Sène
2Mandate of the Conseil interculturel de Montréal
In accordance with section X, article 83, paragraph 2 of the Charter of Ville de Montréal1,
the Conseil interculturel de Montréal:
• “Guides and gives advice to the City Council and the Executive Committee on the
implementation of municipal policy and services that favor the integration and
the participation in political, economic, social and cultural city life of members of
ethnocultural communities;
• Offers, on its own initiative or through the City Council or Executive Committee’s
request, statements on any issue of interest for ethnocultural communities or
any question related to intercultural relations that lie within the municipal field
of competences, and submits recommendations to the City Council or Executive
Committee;
• Requests opinions, receive and hears motions and suggestions from any person or
group on questions relating to intercultural relations;
• Carries out or have carried out research and studies that it judges useful or neces-
sary to the exercise of its function” (our translation).
In line with the definition of its mandate, the CIM carries out research to identify and
clarify less apparent issues, draws the attention of authorities on their importance, and
recommends concrete steps in accord with the city administrative prerogatives. The
present statement on citizen participation of Montréal’s diversity – Towards an Urban
Citizenship Fostering the Participation of All. Statement on Montréal’s Diversity and its
Participation in City Life – thus conforms to the general objectives of the CIM.
1 On September 21, 2017, Montréal officially acquired the status of Québec metropolis, following the sanctioning of Act
to increase the autonomy and powers of Ville de Montréal, the metropolis of Québec (2017, chapter 16). The provincial
government therefore recognized the specific status of Montréal as the metropolis of Québec. This law deletes from the
Charter of Ville de Montréal dispositions that created consultative bodies, which give the city of Montréal the power to
maintaining their operations. In this sense, the articles 83.1, 83.15 à 83.18, regarding the Conseil des Montréalaises, the
Conseil interculturel de Montréal and the Conseil jeunesse de Montréal have all been rescinded.
3Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
5
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXTIntroduction The present statement is in line with the Conseil pages. This framework also corresponds to the intercultural de Montréal’s (CIM) commitment to privileged fields of action and intervention of promote and defend social inclusion as a princi- the city’s administration. ple. It seeks to offer every citizen the necessary The CIM also recognizes that the practices and means to allow access and participation in the actions associated with citizen participation city’s democratic public city. The present CIM does not happen in a vacuum. This, of course, initiative follows the first steps undertaken at is also true for Montréal’s diversity. Citizen par- the 2017 Summer conference of the International ticipation is always tied to a specific social, po- Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD). litical and economic context. As such, it invites It insists on the fact that citizen participation of us to also consider the larger provincial setting. Montréal’s diversity is a public issue deserving Both the pluralistic society of the province of of the city’s attention. Its principal objective is to Québec and the heterogenous city landscape propose a set of concrete recommendations that of Montréal must position equal opportunity at should be implemented to favor its civic partici- the center of their reflections, actions and inter- pation in city life.1 ventions. Achieving equality implies the right This statement also follows a recent report by to participation that public authorities must the Québec provincial government acknowl- ensure for all groups that compose society. The edging these issues: Mesure de la participation CIM deems that the full exercise of urban citi- des Québécoises et Québécois des minorités eth- zenship3 of all Montrealers represents a basic noculturelles aux différentes sphères de la vie democratic requirement. collective (MIDI 2016). The CIM drew on this re- The following document is a three-part state- port to look specifically at the Montréal context. ment. To improve our assessments of the issue Highlighting the multidimensional character of of citizen participation for Montréal’s diversity, civic participation, the Ministère de l’Immigra- a first broad contextual overview of the impact tion, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion du Québec of social marginalization, stigmatization and (MIDI) documents a lower level of citizen par- exclusion that such groups face will be neces- ticipation among people of diverse ethnocultur- sary. Challenges of cohesion that host societies al background in comparison to the rest of the face are also considered, as is the inseparable Québécois2 population. It is precisely this issue relation between the Québécois context and that we have put at the center of our efforts in the municipal reality of Montréal in terms of this statement. their conception of diversity. The second part The CIM deems it essential that a similar ap- is dedicated to the privileged approach to these proach be applied to the political and com- issues and focuses on both the limits and the munity-based participation of Montreal’s di- motivations underlying its elaboration. Third, a versity. Since these groups are more likely to few highlights regarding citizen participation in be subjected to marginalization and discrimi- the city’s civic life are brought forth, followed nation, as most research suggests, specific at- by recommendations presented to the elected tention must be paid to better understand and representatives of Montréal. Through these, we grasp both the modalities of their participation suggest more effective ways of encouraging the and the obstacles that may come their way. The full political participation of all Montrealers in choice of the citizen participation framework – a more inclusive city. both its political and community components – will be further discussed in the upcoming 1 The present statement posits “Montréal’s diversity” as all per- sons recognizing themselves in the following statistical catego- ries: visible or ethnic minorities. 2 The MIDI categorization was privileged in this statement since it is operational, even though it does not consider inter-group diversity and First Nations. 3 Please refer to the definition in the glossary. 6
Context
The political and community-based participa- eral democracies.4 Potential for empowerment
tion of Montréal’s diversity is a predominant di- should thus be offered to all citizens, whether
mension of the full exercise of urban citizenship they be racialized or immigrant populations,
and is part of an intricated reality. Looking at it First Nations or even form the majority group. In
in all its situated and specific complexity is es- this sense, the lack of consideration towards mi-
sential to the comprehension of the modalities of nority groups, their differences and their contri-
citizen participation. From a general perspective, butions to society weaken social cohesion. These
the living together perspective – i.e. “le vivre-en- situations implicitly carry with them possibili-
semble” – allows us to get a better handle on the ties of exclusion and marginalization for certain
relation between social exclusion and inclusion vulnerable groups, whether in terms of rights or
and the essential steps to follow for public au- their socioeconomic status.
thorities. In the Québécois context, how issues Whether submitting voluntarily or not to mar-
relating to diversity are handled at the provincial ginalization or fitting into established norms,
level, necessarily traces the contours of the ap- these processes go well-beyond the issue of so-
proach taken by the city administration on these cioeconomic status. The bases of social exclu-
same matters. sion lie within the well-established, and deeply
Creating Commons through Inclusion: entrenched, conceptions, attitudes, manners
Plural Societies’ Main Challenge and mechanisms. The reproduction of these
forms of exclusion is built, among other things,
If it is true that the intensification of migra- on institutions and discourses that have come
tory flows and international mobility modify to trivialize and normalize them, case in point:
the demographic, economic, social, cultural the latent systemic racism that implicitly fosters
and political structures of host countries, it is forms of discrimination. Similarly, the difficul-
even more essential to examine both the effects ties linked to recognizing the qualifications of
brought forth by these changes and the deci- immigrants (Eid 2012) and the systematic pro-
sion-makers’ responses. tection of professional orders’ historical gains,
As the social fabric changes, host societies need highlights the differential treatment based on
to find ways to articulate the rising ethnocultur- discriminatory criteria (Chicha 2018). The case of
al, religious, linguistic and social heterogeneity populist discourses conveying stigmatization, or
to its public spaces. Facing the challenge of di- the rejection of Otherness, is also acutely gaining
versity and the continuing objective of a shared ground and finding an echo in the public sphere
public life, most host countries implement ini- (Belkhodja 2008; Potvin and Nadeau 2017). Fur-
tiatives and mechanisms to support process- ther proof is the relative success of right-wing
es of integration of newcomers. On one hand, movements and political formations, and the
these public initiatives stress the importance of receptiveness to essentialist positions and re-
shared benchmarks and the creation or the up- strictive conceptions of immigration and citizen-
holding of a sense of belonging in the host com- ship policy (Dufour and Forcier 2015). All these
munity. On the other, the pluralism claimed by structuring and systemic elements contribute to
these host States calls upon the recognition of challenging and restraining citizen participation
differences and encourages the implementation of Montréal’s diversity and tends to consolidate
of inclusive practices. their exclusion from democratic life.
The concept of living together precisely attempts A time-tested response to the exclusion of some
to capture this challenge of balancing integration remains its opposite: inclusion. The intrinsic
and recognition. It is also founded on the princi-
ple of equal opportunity, a central tenant of lib- 4 The American philosopher and renowned liberal theorist,
John Rawls, asserts the necessity of articulating the principles
of liberty with equal opportunity. Such an articulation would
guarantee a minimal form of justice to overcome social inequa-
lities. This principle is now at the heart of liberal democratic
institutions.
7relation between exclusion and inclusion on To grasp how diversity is apprehended at the
one side, and political and community-based provincial level, a few historical reminders need
participation of diversity on the other, tends to to be considered. The formal distribution of re-
suggest this is a “social problem,” i.e. an issue sponsibilities, from the Confederation’s genesis
which should be considered by the appropriate to the end of the 20th century, secured the exclu-
governmental authorities. As these issues be- sive federal jurisdiction over immigration, even
come political priorities in host societies, they though, competing elements could exist at both
are forwarded as demands from civil society, Provincial and Federal levels. Evolving inter-gov-
community actors and academics. These claims ernmental relations at the beginning of the 1960s
generally insist on the fact that responsibility led to the allocation of specific domains of inter-
lies, foremost, on the government’s shoulders, vention for the provinces who gradually became
whether local or national, and is justified by the more substantial players in such matters (Paquet
authority’s adhesion to the principle of equality 2014). This acquisition of limited responsibilities
of chances. Since, social exclusion impairs that with regards to immigration policy was generally
equality, the elaboration and implementation geared towards the integration of immigrants.
of corrective public policy helps regulate the The Québécois trajectory is particularly unique
situation to flatten out social inequalities. The since it undertook this process before everybody
strategic position of governments as power bro- else and was able to secure substantial leeway
kers enables them to intervene in virtue of the with regards to the selection of economic im-
control they exert on
the institutional, po-
litical, economic and
social environment.
An important duty
thus falls on public
authorities with re-
gards to the condi-
tions and modalities
of active citizenship
practices for all and
Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
in view of the rising
social heterogeneity
and potential exclu-
sions resulting from it.
These represent chal-
lenges that should be
fully considered in
their specific national
settings.
migration. Following the 1991 ratification of the
Perspectives from Québec and Montréal
Canada-Québec accord on immigration, and in
An overview of how the management of diversity exchange for a generous trade-off covering the
has been implemented in the last decades at the related costs, the Federal government was com-
provincial level will clear the means and ends of mitted to “retrieve itself from the linguistic and
Montréal’s privileged approach. This necessary cultural settlement and integration services of-
detour within the larger context of the Province fered to permanent residents of Québec and the
of Québec ensures a better understanding of the placement and information program for immi-
municipal dynamics. grants” (SIRP 2008:4-5; our translation). Thus
8empowered, Québec had the necessary powers ard 2011:397; our translation) and the general
and resources to plan its immigration and to guidelines specific to the provinces preferred
think of its approach in terms of the integration mode of management of diversity. It conveys a si-
of newcomers (Balthazar 2009). multaneous response to both the identity-based
From early 2000 onwards, specific responsibili- aspirations of the French-Canadian majority
ties tied to welcoming and integration were also and the imperatives of pluralism. Since the 1991
officially relegated by the province to a number Énoncé de politique en matière d’immigration et
of urban civic organizations (Belabdi 2004; Re- d’intégration. Au Québec pour bâtir ensemble, in-
ichhold 2011). Less centralized, public action terculturalism rests on the three main tenets that
now relied on the idea of “State partnerships.” determine the duties and responsibilities of the
Community-based organizations have since host society towards newcomers, which should
been responsible for delivering in large part the lead to a successful integration. Gagnon and
necessary immigration-related services: recep- Boucher (2016:187) identify three constitutive el-
tion, francization, socioeconomic insertion, etc. ements in the intercultural approach that orients
Municipalities now act as local administrative the ways of conceptualizing Québécois diversity:
branches, in consultation with the MIDI, to im- 1) A society in which French is the common
plement its determined framework. While some public language;
municipal autonomy has recently been gained, 2) A democratic society, where the contribu-
they do not hold full responsibility for the arriv- tion and participation of all are favored and
al of newcomers and provincial authorities still expected;
state the principle political orientations and de- 3) A pluralist society open to the multiple
termine the framework in which municipalities contributions of intercommunity exchanges
must operate. within the scope of fundamental democratic
values.
In relation to the integration of newcomers and
the management of ethnocultural diversity, the Interculturalism is therefore a model articulated
government of Québec privileges an intercultur- around a conception of active political participa-
alist approach5. While never formally adopted as tion of all its citizens, the use of French as public
an official policy by the provincial government, language, and geared towards the edification of
interculturalism is nevertheless generally pre- a dynamic Québécois society and culture, with
sented and described in most official documents. the mutual respect of differences. While common
Thus, the MIDI states: values and the promotion of French benefit from
specific laws or measures, and although political
Interculturalism recognizes and promotes
participation is a fundamental aspect of intercul-
a plural and dynamic conception of
Québécois identity, French as the common turalism, no public policy addresses it directly6.
public language, respect for the rights and This ambitious model for the management of
liberties of individuals, the fight against diversity is periodically debated in the public
discrimination, an ethic of dialogue sphere. The persistent tension between the pro-
and mediation, and a conception of motion of the cultural majority and the recog-
integration based on shared commitments nition of diversity continuously animates con-
and responsibilities between host
troversies.7 These polemical issues highlight
society and newcomers. It recognizes the
importance of intercultural exchanges
6 For example, the Charte de la langue française and the Déclara-
and the full participation of all Québécois tion sur les valeurs communes de la société québécoise.
citizens, from all origins (MIDI 2015a:35; 7 For example, those relating to the Commission de consulta-
our translation). tion sur les pratiques d’accommodement reliées aux différences
culturelles (2007), the Charte affirmant les valeurs de laïcité et
de neutralité religieuse de l’État ainsi que d’égalité entre les
The above general description offers a “formula femmes et les hommes et encadrant les demandes d’accommo-
of coexistence in a context of diversity” (Bouch- dement in 2013-2014 and, more recently, the Consultation sur la
discrimination systémique et le racisme au Québec, and died on
5 Please refer to the definitions in the glossary. the Order Paper.
9different models of society-building trying to and trust. It relies on the contribution and
grapple with both the growing plurality of the participation of all citizens to its social,
province and the multiple regional realities. cultural and economic development (Ville de
Montréal 2018; our translation).
Metropolitan and rural regions offer different
challenges for State-authorities with regards to From the 1989 Déclaration de Montréal contre la
the welcoming of newcomers, which sometimes discrimination raciale up to its 2015 Déclaration
gives the impression of two separated realities de Montréal sur le vivre ensemble, the city fol-
in need of reconciliation. The responsibilities of lowed its own unique trajectory for promoting
integrating and managing diversity in regional diversity at the symbolic level. It nevertheless
contexts certainly deserve its own specific atten- does not profit from a structured framework
tion (Fourot 2013). Yet, metropolitan and rural corresponding to its aspirations that would en-
municipalities will both be pressured to play a sure a coherent and thoughtful approach to in-
more important role in fostering citizen partici- terculturalism. This fact is attested by the ab-
pation in response to the dynamics of social in- sence of coordination between administrative
clusion and exclusion. services,9 their scattered initiatives, and those
The sheer concentration and high retention of of community-based organizations which are
newcomers and the strong presence of racial- not always on the same page as those of the ad-
ized populations do place Montréal in a class of ministration. Yet, Montréal’s growing respon-
its own in comparison to the rest of the prov- sibilities and resources10 should challenge it to
ince. In 2011, immigrant populations added to revise its way of intervening and managing in
33.2% of the demographic composition of the favor of its diversity.
island of Montréal (MIDI 2014).8 It’s capaci-
Modalities of Participation
ty for welcoming newcomers explains in part
the challenges faced by programs of regional- The general frame of reference that delineates
ization implemented by successive provincial the political and administrative orientations
government since the 1980s. In terms of public in terms of managing diversity also tend to cir-
services, infrastructure, associative and com- cumscribe spaces and modalities of participa-
munity-based organizations working in the tion that go beyond it. Those modalities also
name of its diversity enrich Montréal’s offer and deserve a closer look. They highlight specific
ensure that the city is a highly suitable environ- and subtle ways of doing, which can some-
ment for newcomers. times escape a stricter institutionalized out-
As we have seen, the issue of diversity goes be- look on citizen participation.
yond Montréal. The municipality also needs Modes of citizen participation can move beyond
to subscribe to the overall intercultural ideal institutionalized practices. As such, they require
promoted by the Québécois government, while a concerted awareness by city authorities and
adapting it to its specific reality: the adoption of a larger definition of participa-
tion. Whereas formal politics are characterized
The city of Montréal adopts the principle
by individualized and more formally engaged
of interculturalism to orient its actions as a
municipal administration. The diversity of participation, the investment of non-institution-
Montréal’s population is one of its important al spaces are largely ignored. Yet these forms
characteristic and constitutes an undeniable of engagement are an important facet of urban
richness. In adopting the principle of activities for people of diverse ethnocultural
interculturalism, the city hopes to facilitate backgrounds, racialized populations and immi-
exchanges and the sharing of experiences
within its population built on mutual respect 9 On this point, the reader should refer to the section on
highlights, more specifically, the segment with regards to the
8 Furthermore: “among the admitted immigrants between 2006 institutionalization of issues related to diversity.
and 2015 that were present in Quebec in January 2017, 73,9 re- 10 Especially since the adoption by the government of Québec,
sided in Montréal’s metropolitan region (MMR)” (MIDI 2017:18; of Bill n.121 in September 2017: An Act to increase the autonomy
our translation). and powers of Ville de Montréal, the metropolis of Québec.
10grants. Numerous researches have attended to action, Annick Germain and Mary Sweeney
such processes to highlight and describe their suggest:
existence (Simard 2004). In her study dedicated
“many researchers think that the rallying
to Latin-American migrants in Toronto, Luisa Ve-
point of community-based institutions
ronis (2010:174) underlines that certain collective finds its rationale in the diagnostic
entities and groups can sometimes take more that immigrants make towards the host
time in actively participating in formal political society, and more precisely, the place
processes of decision-making. Nevertheless, the allocated to them within it. The existence
same populations can be quite active locally in of discrimination, the feeling of being
community efforts and diverse networks that al- excluded, of not being considered by public
low to answer their needs and represent their in- services, incites certain ethnocultural
terests. As Veronis (2010:174) argues, the modes groups to take matters into their own
of participation and community-construction in hands.” (2002:17; our translation)
host societies rely on the collective organization The goal here is not to establish a clear distinc-
of immigrants around common issues that they tion between individual participation articu-
face: among those, the participation to the af- lated around institutions and formal powers,
fairs of the host society. This suggests that efforts and a more collective, less formal grassroots
by civil society, like those of community-based participation. But for many, community-based
organizations, play an important role in facilitat- participation presents itself as an alternative
ing immigrant participation (Germain and Swee- to democracy as it exists through national or
ney 2002; Veronis 2014). local institutions. In “Deep Democracy,” Ar-
jun Appadurai (2001)
suggested that since
WWII, the modalities
of governance were
largely transformed,
allowing the emer-
gence and develop-
ment of non-State
actors (community
and non-governmen-
tal organizations, civ-
ic movements, etc.).
These, he argues,
Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
play a growing role
in shaping societies.
More specifically,
these organizations
and groups tend to of-
fer new forms of citi-
zenship within cities,
which Apparadurai
The collective dimension of participation qualifies as deep democracy (2001:25), a form
within minorities in Montréal can also be of governance which finds its roots in localized
observed through the importance of proxim- and contextualized efforts. These forms of col-
ity engagements, school boards for example, lective participation can be equally important
and even diaspora-based organizations. With as those more concerned with mobilizing indi-
regards to the structuration of this collective vidual participation and are also more likely to
11touch directly upon the issues of marginalized belongings pose new challenges to public au- and less represented groups. Favoring a pas- thorities in charge of regulating the shared city sage from collective participation to more in- landscape. Some may develop the interrelation dividualized forms, which is so central to the between the full exercise of citizenship and the functioning of our contemporary societies, is active participation of marginalized groups, therefore a fundamental issue to address. which are attested by the Québécois case and the In sum, general and specific perspectives can reality of the city of Montréal with political and shed light on the underlining issues of and ob- community-based participation as generative of stacles to political and community-based partic- integration, of social cohesion and of an emerg- ipation in municipal life for Montréal’s diversi- ing urban citizenship. Yet, other efforts should ty. The social heterogeneity and multiplicity of be made to ensure the full participation of all.
Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
13
APPROACHApproach
Framing and Circumscribing Presented as such, citizen participation encom-
Participation passes both political and community-based
participation. Philippe Braud broadly defines
Prior to the presentation of the methodology, the political participation as the “whole range of ac-
motivations behind the choice of the framework tivities, individual or collective, which potential-
and terminology used in the present statement ly gives the governed the power to influence the
will be addressed. Participation as a public issue functioning of the political system” (2006:279;
is characterized by its polysemic and multidimen- our translation). Citizen participation thus main-
sional nature. While many types of participation ly relates to the engagement of citizens with for-
can be appreciated and measured, such as eco- mal institutions and to issues of representation
nomic, cultural, linguistic participation, the CIM within public services and elected officials. The
wishes to focus this statement specifically on CIM deems this type of participation and its defi-
citizen participation. The latter occupies a stra- nition to be relevant to the present statement,
tegic position in municipal life and comprises of since they allow to underline the investment of
two main components: political and communi- people from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds
ty-based participation. These dimensions largely in the formal spaces of decision-making.
overlap and are mostly inseparable. Nevertheless,
Table 1 – Political Dimension: Components and
defining these two terms allows for a better under-
Elements
standing of what distinguishes one from the other
and the sustained relation that binds them. 1st Component Political Citizenship
Figure 1 – Graphic Presentation of the Two 1st Element Political Representation
Components of Citizen Participation (candidacy and election)
2nd
Element Political Actions
*Example: Petition Signature and
Citizen Participation Participation in Demonstrations
3rd Element Political Party Membership
4th Element Electoral Participation
5th Element Participation within Democratic
Community- Institutions
based Political
Participation *Example : Participation and Voicing
Participation Points of View within Municipal
Coucnil and Public Consultation
2nd Component Social Citizenship
1st Element Union Membership
2nd Element Participating in Union Activities
Citizen participation can be described as: 3rd Element Joining a Local Provincial, National
or International Non-governmental
A process of mandatory or voluntary Organization
engagement by ordinary people, acting
3rd Component Civic Citizenship
alone or within an organization to influence
decisions directed towards significant 1st Element Naturalization
choices affecting their community. Whether 2nd Element Presence within the Administration
it takes place or not in an institutionalized *Example : Proportion of People
setting, this participation can be organized from Diverse Ethnocultural
through civil society initiatives (collective Backgrounds within the Municipal
redress, protest, citizen committee) or by Public Administration and the
decision-makers (referendum, parliamentary Appreciation of their Work
commission, mediation). (André 2012:1 in
Source : MIDI 2015:40-41; * our additions and translation
MIDI 2016:67; our translation)
14Community-based participation comprises of The privileged approach therefore articulates cit-
people’s investment and voluntary work within izen participation of Montréal’s diversity to these
local associations. This type of participation is two dimensions, since they complete each other
essential to the development of strong local and converge with the municipal fields of inter-
communities and, more broadly, is central to vention. Research shows that “the participation
favoring socioeconomic integration11 and the of local communities would also re-enforce civic
development of stronger social ties.12 While a engagement and local electoral participation”
theoretical distinction can be made between (Milner 2004 in MIDI 2016:33; our translation).
political and community-based participation, The work of Carolle Simard and Michel Pagé
the CIM considers that the latter is intimately (2009) on the militant history of Montréal’s elect-
tied to political participation, but also crucial ed officials confirms the positive correlation be-
to its occurrence, especially when it comes to tween both types of participation. Also, in virtue
newcomers and immigrant populations. From of its regulatory power and its area of expertise,
this angle, the observer can be more attuned the Montréal administration can more easily in-
to the obstacles to participation that people of tervene on these issues. Furthermore, as will be
diverse ethnocultural background face, such shown in the next section of this statement, pre-
as those stressed by Jean-Pierre Colin and occupations surrounding the municipal demo-
Laurence Bherer (2008).13 cratic gap should also be considered when think-
Table 2 – Community Dimension: Components ing of the circumscription of participation.
and Elements Documentary Research: Limits and
1 Component Community Engagement
st Responses
1st Element Local Forms of Participation This statement rests on a brief review of the
2
nd
Element Affective Social Capital scientific and gray literature14 on the topic,
3 Element Relational Social Capital
rd which also encompasses the concepts defined
in the glossary: participation, urban citizen-
4th Element Voluntary Work
ship, rights to the city, representation, social
*Example: Proportion of People who
have Done Voluntary Work and the cohesion, etc.
Amount of Time they have A critical take on this corpus, specifically in
Source : MIDI 2015:40-41; * our additions and translation relation to citizen participation of Montréal’s
These components of citizen participation are diversity, demonstrates that there are signif-
therefore interrelated and mutually complete icative limits and shortages on the topic. The
each other, although the distinction does help literature and statistical data remain tenuous
both the identification of different modalities of and not always framed in an operational man-
participation and the disentanglement of certain ner. For example, the state of First Nations peo-
specificities. ple in an urban context and the unrecognized
role of non-institutionalized modes of partici-
11 Citizen participation as a central condition for the successful pation are rarely addressed by both academic
integration is an argument developed by the Institut du Nou-
veau Monde (INM), in a memoir submitted in 2007 for the Com-
and gray literature.
mission de consultation sur les pratiques d’accommodement re- Furthermore, the imprecise nature of the con-
liées aux différences culturelles. It argues that full participation
to democratic should not rely only on national institutions, but cept of diversity as a conceptual tool does not
also on local organizations, groups and civil society. allow for a fine-tuned apprehension of the is-
12 The work of Jolana Jarotkova (2017) on the social participation sues, and it especially does not allow an inter-
of immigrants originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo
in the Brussels-Capital and Ottawa-Gatineau regions is a salient sectional reading, which this statement wished
example of community-based participation. to put forth. The concept of diversity reaffirms
13 The authors present the historical, cultural obstacles
highlighted by the late Conseil des relations interculturelles,
the majority-minority dialectic whereas “diver-
whether they stem from the socioeconomic status, ethno-cultu-
ral minorities themselves, political parties or the absence of mi- 14 Gray literature refers to governmental reports, whether provin-
norities within public institutions. cial or municipal.
15sity” simply represents everyone not belonging and dedicated to the preliminary presentation of
to the majority. The concept is unable to consid- this statement.
er the complex individual trajectories, singular Thus, while this statement is unable to establish
socio-historical context and the different mo- an exhaustive portrait of citizen participation as
dalities of participation. Despite its conceptual, it relates to Montréal’s diversity, the reflection
methodological and empirical shortcomings, that results from data analysis, nevertheless
this statement reluctantly uses the concept of underlines important findings. These will be
“diversity”15 to refer to people of diverse eth- followed up by the CIM’s recommendations to
nocultural background, because of its strong foster the citizen participation of Montréal’s di-
operational and referential presence, whether versity.
in Montréal or in the general discourses of the
Province of Québec.
To respond to the diffi-
cult access to data and
the analytical limits of
the general research,
this statement bene-
fitted from academic
Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
and community exper-
tise, which were con-
sulted throughout the
research process. A
two-day consultation
took place with stra-
tegic actors related to
these areas of interest
15 For the definition of “diversity” and how it is used in the pre-
sent statement, see the glossary at the end of it.
16STATUS OF THE SITUATION
AND HIGHLIGHTS
Photo credit: Manoucheka Lorgis
17Status of the Situation and Highlights
The formulated recommendations offered by Beyond the perception of administrative com-
the CIM to the elected officials of the Ville de plexity, these experiments did encourage the
Montréal are based on three main decisive high- consultation and deliberation of citizens. As Di-
lights with regards to the political and communi- ane Lamoureux suggests:
ty-based participation of Montréal’s diversity: 1)
The interest of this limited experience
training of citizens towards municipal civic life;
is precisely the gradual transition from
2) representation of people of Montréal’s diversi- consultation to deliberation. For elected
ty within public institutions; 3) institutionaliza- officials, the goal of such budgets was first
tion of the issues of diversity and the approach of to consult the population, asking them to
the Ville de Montréal in these matters. define their projects, and then, make its
As such, this status report concerning the un- decision. Following a confrontation, they
dertaken initiatives in line with the issues sur- then had the good sense of gradually opening
rounding the urban participation of Montréal’s a public deliberation, asking citizens to
evaluate the relevance of the different
diversity identifies ways of strengthening the
projects. (2008: 127; our translation)
management of an inclusive diversity and spe-
cific implementations to answer the challenge of This shared invitation to define initiatives and
heightened its participation. projects that make day-to-day sense for citizens
favor effective participation in local social affairs.
Training for Municipal Civic Life
Implementing these types of initiatives in multi-
The fact that no formal training to municipal civ- ethnic boroughs allows Montrealers from diverse
ic life exists in the school curriculum of young ethnocultural backgrounds to appropriate po-
Québécois students urges us to reflect on origi- litical, social and economic levers in a context
nal ways in which an urban citizenship training of under-representation in key positions. While
could be implemented. Moments and spaces participatory budgets are not a cure-all solution,
where we indirectly acquire what Julien Talpin it is a promising avenue for the diversification of
(2008) calls civic competences: practical “know- public spaces and reinforces an existing dyna-
how,” technical capacities and political capabili- mism found in the history of Montréal’s diversity
ties16 are crucial here. These capacities are put to community-based action in Québec and Mon-
good use in formal and traditional settings, but tréal (Hamel and Jouve 2006).
also in non-institutionalized spaces which par- Inseparable from the acquisition of civic com-
take in the politicization of citizens. petences, deliberation and learning through ex-
These experiences forge the apprehension and perience occupy decisive functions in the Jeune
modes of engagement of individuals in relation Conseil de Montréal (JCM). The latter is a perfect
to local politics. The City has put forth many example of training for municipal civic life. Since
structuring and original initiatives in the direc- 1987, the annual simulation gathers around 70
tion of fostering the civic capabilities of its citi- and 100 young adults – between the ages of 18
zens.17 In accordance with Julien Talpin’s study and 30 and from everywhere in Québec –, who
(2008) on the effects of participatory budgets18 wish to be initiated to the political institutions of
at the municipal level in Europe, a few bor- Montréal (CJM 2013:13). This type of initiative can
oughs experimented with such solutions, like also be found in other boroughs. The Maire ou
the Plateau-Mont-Royal between 2006 and 2009. Mairesse d’un jour program, implemented in Mon-
tréal-Nord informs elementary school students
16 For example, publicly expressing oneself in a municipal coun- about the mayoral role and functions. It is another
cil session. good example of an activity focused on acquiring
17 The “Citoyen de ma ville” initiative is a good example. It ini- a better understanding of municipal life.
tiates students to their future role as citizens through two
workshops and three visits to City Hall. Beyond pedagogical initiations to local mu-
18 Yves Sintomer, Anja Röcke and Julien Talpin argue that “this nicipal politics, other measures specifically
procedure consists in associating non-elected citizens to the defini-
tion and allocation of public finances” (2009:303; our translation). encourage the autonomy of Montréal’s diversi-
18ty and its corollary: active urban citizenship. ethnocultural backgrounds acceded to public
First, the Groupe des Trente from Concertation office (representing 15.53% of elected officials).
Montréal unites, for a full year, thirty ambas- In relation to the socio-demographic structure
sadors to share their own experiences within of the city of Montréal – of which, more than
executive boards. 31% of residents belong to immigrant popula-
Second, many intercultural pairing programs tions (Rocher 2017) –, there is a clear deficit of
supported by community-based organizations19 representation within the governing institu-
invest the social, linguistic, cultural and inter- tions of the city.
cultural aspects to equip newcomers and facili- The extent of this issue can also be emphasized
tate their inclusion in Québécois society and at by looking at the kinds of functions minorities
the local level. From a general perspective, and tend to occupy. Without ranking the importance
because of its reciprocal positive impact on both of city mandates, certain strategic positions do
individual trajectories, intercultural matching allow for a greater influence on local affairs. For
allows for a mutual familiarization of the other’s example, Members of the Executive Committee
reality. As such, intercultural pairing based on explicitly possess far greater decision-making
participation encourages a sense of belonging power than borough councillors who are part of
within the local community. the opposition party.
While measures relating to municipal civic train- Without being the central topic of the present
ing go well beyond the few examples given here, statement, the issue of representation is nev-
certain reservations need to be addressed. If ertheless pressing in municipal public service.
there exists a good number of initiatives, too few Whether it be on the political or administrative
directly address Montréal’s diversity. Therefore, level, the presence and participation of Mon-
there is a need to deepen our understanding of tréal’s diversity mirror the degree of inclusion
how to optimize community and citizen partic- in the city of Montréal’s public institutions.
ipation. We need a sensible approach capable The Plan d’action pour la diversité en emploi
of documenting the practices that already exist 2016-2019 (2016b), written by the city’s admin-
and their repercussions, and which considers istration, outlines the initiatives and results in
the different individual trajectories and different relation to the employment of the five targeted
modalities of participation. groups by the Loi sur l’accès à l’égalité en emploi
dans des organismes publics — women, First
Representation within the City’s Political
Nations, persons with disabilities and mem-
Body, Departments and Services
bers of ethnocultural and visible minorities.
A Press release issued by Élection Montréal Despite the efforts made in the last few years,
(2017b) on the day following the last elections only 17% of municipal human resources in 2015
stated that, on a self-declared basis, the new- identify as belonging to ethnocultural or visi-
ly representative body would be constituted of ble minorities. A disquieting fact is that these
23% of people from diverse ethnocultural back- groups only occupy 6% of senior or executive
grounds (respectively, 6 elected officials from positions. While this represents 0.2% progres-
visible minorities and 14 from ethnocultural sion, it amounts to the addition of a single hu-
minorities). Yet, of the total 298 candidacies, man being. A similar observation can be made
86 Montrealers from these groups campaigned. with regards to senior administrative positions:
This under-representation is consistent with only 9.4% of staffing are representative of the
the results from the 2013 elections. Of the 485 targeted groups, an increase of 1.5% from 2012.
candidacies, only 16 candidates from diverse In sum, Montréal’s diversity is simply not well
represented in most strategic positions within
19 The Réseau de Jumelage interculturel du Québec, coordonated the municipal bodies.
by the Table de concertation des organismes au service des per-
sonnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI) or the Programme de ju- The representation deficit within decision-mak-
melage interculturel of the Carrefour de ressources en intercultu-
rel (CRIC) are also good examples. ing spheres should be analyzed in tandem with
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