Religious Inclusion Survey 

​

View the full report here:

View a quick infographic of the survey results here: 

​

Concern and hope found in survey on religious inclusion in Wood Buffalo
Nearly half the people responding to a survey on religious inclusion in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo say they have experienced discrimination because of their beliefs. And nearly 9 out of ten say they have experienced or witnessed kindness from other religious groups.

 

The online survey was commissioned by the Collaboration for Religious Inclusion with funding from the Alberta Human Rights Commission to help understand current issues that individuals face with regards to faith, knowledge and awareness of other faith groups, and thoughts and experiences relating to religion and spirituality.  

​

The survey polled 375 residents and was launched in spring of 2016 and then relaunched in early 2017 with new questions to reflect the post-fire reality in Wood Buffalo. Key findings include: that negative perception and discrimination are prevalent in the community, that there is a significant incidence and under-reporting of hate crimes, and that there are barriers to practicing one's faith in the region. The survey also shows that religious faith has played a significant role in residents' recovery from the wildfire.

​

Some key responses include: 45 percent report experiencing religious discrimination because of their religious beliefs; 9 percent feel that discrimination towards certain religions is justified; 6 percent report being targeted in a hate crime but of those respondents only 4 percent reported the hate crime to police. Other responses include: 88 percent report they have experienced or witnessed kindness from other religious groups; 46 percent report that Wood Buffalo is “very inclusive”. The survey also included a religious trivia quiz with an average score of 76 percent indicating a general knowledge of religions but with room to improve.

​

Recommendations as a result of the survey include: providing religious accommodation including multi-faith prayer spaces at public and private institutions such as the airport, building safer community by developing hate crime prevention and awareness strategies, promoting religious inclusion by increasing opportunities for multi-faith gatherings in RMWB, and ensuring that wildfire recovery initiatives include attention to the spiritual needs of residents.

For more information on this survey and/or CRI you can contact Waj Arain (780-381-3974) or Rev. Donalee Williams at 780-880-3771.

​

Unity Walk & Community Report Back

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Unity Walk and Community Report Back on May 20th 1-3 at Jubilee Plaza. Our partner organizations including the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Wood Buffalo RCMP, Alberta Human Rights Commission, Multicultural Association, RACIDE, United Church of Fort McMurray, Marka Ul-Islam, McMurray Gospel Church were all in attendance. Over 50 community members came out to support our strength as a religiously diverse community and to hear the results of the recent CRI Religious Inclusion survey. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Training

Our partner organizations offer tailored training and workshops to help your team:

• increase understanding of religious and cultural differences

• improve communication & team work

• better serve diverse clientele

• attract, retain, & integrate a diverse workforce

 

Developing Inclusive Spaces

CRI works with organizations and institutions to develop more inclusive spaces in our community. We offer input and consultations on building quiet rooms that serve as a neutral space for everyone to access for prayer, meditation, and/or reflection. 

 

Community Building

CRI works to build relationships among faith and organizations, business, and government. The group aims to build bridges, work together, and move towards a more inclusive community for all.

​

CRI's Anniversary Celebration

Thanks to everyone who joined us on Nov 7th, 5:30-7:30 to celebrate the Collaboration for Religious Inclusion's one year anniversary. We were proud to host Zarqa Nawaz, author of "Little Mosque on the Prairie" and "Laughing All the Way to the Mosque"!