Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplaces Program (WICWP)

The primary goal of WICWP is to support inclusive, welcoming and vibrant communities in B.C. where immigrants can realize their full potential, racism is eliminated, and cultural diversity is valued and celebrated.

WICWP is innovative in that it serves as a bridge between diverse sectors and provides an opportunity for collaboration and broader sector engagement in fostering welcoming and inclusive communities.

This program is a three-year pilot program intended to be a vehicle to lead and influence systemic change, and is not intended to provide direct services to clients. More specifically, the program objective is to fund initiatives that will foster welcoming communities around B.C.

As such, this program is about capacity building at the community, provincial and regional levels, developing broad, long-term partnerships across sectors and stakeholder groups, and serving as a catalyst for systemic change.

In order to promote cooperation and broad engagement of stakeholders, funding under the Community Partnership Development program element supports initiatives that work towards forming partnerships and collaborations among key stakeholder groups within their community.

Launched in 2008, the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplaces Program (WICWP) is a three-year initiative that supports inclusive and vibrant communities across B.C. The goal is to build communities where immigrants can realize their full potential, racism is eliminated and cultural diversity is valued and celebrated. The WICWP program helps communities in achieving these goals by engaging diverse sectors and groups.

There are four program elements which make up the core WICWP program. These elements include developing community partnerships, developing and exchanging knowledge, educating the public to promote cross-cultural understanding and promoting projects to foster welcoming and inclusive communities. In addition to the core programs, other WICWP-related initiatives operate in B.C.

WICWP was developed taking into consideration key elements of existing ministry programs, guidance and advice solicited from two roundtable sessions held with key stakeholders, and additional consultations and focus groups. The majority of the funding for this program is provided by the federal government under the terms of the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement.

Resources

These resources will give you more information about the WICWP program: