In November of 2023, Acadia announced the kick-off to our search for an Associate Vice-President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR).
The result of that search was the hiring of Lerato Chondoma, who began in the position of AVP EDI-AR in September of 2024 after wrapping up her time as Associate Director of the Indigenous Research Support Initiative at University of British Columbia and moving cross country.
Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo, Provost and Vice-President Academic, is excited for what Lerato brings to Acadia. In her message welcoming Lerato to campus in September, Dr. Cunsolo said "While equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and decolonization are the shared responsibility of all of us, Lerato will provide strategic leadership, share advice and knowledge, build and strengthen relationships, work with students, staff, faculty, and community to identify key priorities, and lead and guide needed change in these areas."
Fast forward one academic year, and "lead guided change" Lerato certainly has! After getting to know our campus, our people, and listening to what our community has to say, she's working with leadership to form the structure of the new office's portfolio.
In her new portfolio, Lerato is working to coordinate and enhance Acadia's current EDI efforts while introducing new programs based on community feedback, helping to position Acadia as a future leader in Nova Scotia for inclusion and anti-racism.
With resources newly allocated to her office, Lerato now has four staff dedicated to meeting Acadia's commitment to EDI-AR. This team, made possible through the strategic reallocation of existing resources and positions, is tackling key areas like equity and inclusive community and human rights education.
Her team is a key part of Acadia's commitment to our new areas of focus: equity and inclusive communities; human rights and human rights education; EDI-AR strategic institutional initiatives; anti-racism, community partnerships, and capacity building; and decolonization.
Making waves locally and globally
While Lerato is hard at work developing the portfolio and team of the EDI-AR office at Acadia, she is also making waves on a global scale. Last week she travelled to New York to serve as a delegate for the Black Canadians Civil Society Coalition (BCCSC) at the 4th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
Lerato attended as a non-governmental representative, championing the perspectives of Canadian Black communities from rural Nova Scotia and providing national policy insights on behalf of the Canadian Black Policy Network.
In addition to this significant role, Lerato has been invited to serve as member of national Black leadership table organized by BCCSC and Amnesty International Canada. This table aims to support BCCSC and Amnesty International Canada's efforts in preparing for the UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent (PFPAD) to be hosted in Canada in 2025.
Just as the issues that Lerato is addressing both at the UN and at Acadia are systemic, so too are the results from her work on both local and global levels. They feed into each other, bringing global insights to Acadia, and local insights to the world stage.
"It is vital that as we work to build an Acadia that is inclusive, anti-racist, decolonial and human-rights centered, that we are guided and directed by community voices to shape priorities on the issues that relate most to themselves," says Lerato.
"As it relates to my work with African Nova Scotians and people of African Descent, I continue to advocate and champion for people of African Descent to assert ownership and control over their archives, data, information, and stories to be active participants in research about their own communities shaped by (their) distinct worldviews, cultural contexts, and values. I am grateful to have been able to share this message and additional recommendations with the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in New York last week."
While in New York, Lerato spoke to recommendations about: Engagement, Participation and Representation; Disaggregation of Data - Monitoring, Accountability and Data Systems; and Education Equity. Her recommendations "amplify the voices of African Nova Scotians and people of African Descent in the Valley and speak to the type of implementation mechanisms that our communities seek from the second decade of PFPAD."
"I am thrilled to have joined BCCSC and Amnesty International Canada to bring PFPAD to Canada and Nova Scotia later this year so that the Forum can hear directly from African Nova Scotians and people of African Descent living in rural Nova Scotia."
Acadia looks forward to continuing to grow alongside Lerato as she brings her expertise and knowledge to this crucial portfolio.
