An important and impactful resource

For years, the people of Hamilton have been working to respond to the needs of those who experience hate. This platform is a result of collective work and advocacy. WeSupport, the idea that the experience of hate is a site for care. In 2019, we studied the practice of doing something differently in respect to how we respond to those who experience hate. We reviewed existing literature, existing platforms and reporting systems that arose in response to the inadequacies of police based or complaint based legal juridical. What we found was that the needs of those who experience hate were indeed sites for care. This corresponded with the needs expressed by those who attended a forum about the pilot project year for the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, where participants expressed the need for online pathways and resources to be developed in addition to in-person support or individual-based responses to needs.

WeSupport is about recognizing that the experience of hate can come with the experience of pain and suffering. These experiences should not be left in isolation. WeSupport is a way to respond with care as the entry point. This platform offers a way to tell your story and be heard, to connect with existing resources and support, to not be alone when you navigate difficult systems of complaint, whether it be in areas of healthcare, employment, education, housing, community safety, public policy, juridical and others.

WeSupport also cares about your story and that it belongs to you. This respect has gone into how we thought about your privacy and confidentiality. Nothing you share will be shared without your consent. WeSupport is also a movement that brings together and mobilizes solidarities that have been building for many years to address issues that we know to be historical, social, political and thereby systemic across allied agencies and organizations that value the knowledge that comes from community and lived experiences.

WeSupport is a platform managed in partnership between Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) and Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC).