DEFINE ngo An NGO, or non-governmental organization, is a non-profit entity that operates independently of government control, typically focused on addressing social, environmental, or humanitarian issues. NGOs often rely on private funding, donations, or grants and work to promote causes like human rights, education, health, or environmental conservation. Examples include Amnesty International or the Red Cross. They can vary in size, scope, and influence, from local grassroots groups to global organizations. What was their role in DEI? Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a significant role in advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by embedding these principles into their operations, programs, and advocacy efforts. Their roles include: Advocacy and Awareness: NGOs raise awareness about DEI issues, advocating for policies and practices that promote fairness and inclusion. They engage in campaigns to address systemic discrimination, such as gender inequality, racial inequity, or disability rights, often amplifying marginalized voices. For example, NGOs like Amnesty International push for human rights-based approaches to DEI, including gender equality and 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. Program Implementation: Many NGOs integrate DEI into their programs to ensure equitable service delivery. They design initiatives that cater to diverse communities, addressing specific needs based on cultural, social, or economic contexts. For instance, the Gates Foundation embeds DEI to enhance global health and education outcomes by prioritizing underrepresented groups. Capacity Building: NGOs provide training and resources to foster inclusive environments within their organizations and the communities they serve. They conduct diversity training, establish equitable hiring practices, and create frameworks to support marginalized groups, as seen in the National Council of Nonprofits’ efforts to promote DEI in nonprofit operations. Partnerships and Collaboration: NGOs collaborate with local and global stakeholders to tailor DEI initiatives to specific cultural and historical contexts. This includes working with communities in the Global South to address colonial legacies and systemic inequities, ensuring DEI efforts are locally relevant. Research and Data-Driven Strategies: NGOs conduct research to identify barriers to inclusion and develop evidence-based solutions. Organizations like Diversio use AI-driven analytics to measure DEI progress and recommend actionable steps for nonprofits, enhancing their impact. Modeling DEI Practices: NGOs model DEI by diversifying their leadership, staff, and boards. They implement equitable policies, such as pay transparency and bias-free recruitment, to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities they serve. Challenges include navigating cultural sensitivities, limited funding, and political resistance, particularly in regions with entrenched norms or legal restrictions. Despite these, NGOs remain pivotal in driving DEI by aligning their missions with human rights and social justice principles, fostering equitable and inclusive societie
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AntisemitismCanada In 2026, Tulsa And Panama Are Courting Canadian Jews As Antisemitism Redefines The Cost Of Staying As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels across Canada, Jewish families and professionals are quietly reassessing their futures, and some are being actively courted elsewhere. Ron East By: Ron East December 31, 2025 SHARE A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options as antisemitism intensifies and confidence in public protection erodes. (Image: Illustration.) TORONTO — For generations, Canada sold itself as a country where Jews could thrive without constantly looking over their shoulders. That assumption no longer holds for a growing number of Canadian Jews, particularly in the aftermath of October 7 and the months that followed. What has changed is not only the number of antisemitic incidents. It is the atmosphere. Public hostility has been normalized. Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centres operate under permanent security protocols. Anti-Jewish intimidation is increasingly framed as political expression. Enforcement is inconsistent. Accountability is rare. When Jewish life requires constant risk assessment, mobility stops being a luxury. It becomes a rational act of self-preservation. That reality helps explain why, in 2026, two very different destinations, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Panama, are appearing with growing frequency in serious conversations among Canadian Jews who have the means and flexibility to move. This is not a panic migration. It is a strategic recalculation. Canada’s new warning lights Jewish Canadians represent a small fraction of the population, yet account for a vastly disproportionate share of reported hate crimes. This is not a perception problem. It is a documented pattern. More troubling than the statistics themselves is the message many Jews hear in response: concern, sympathy, and context, but little deterrence. Protests that spill into harassment are tolerated. Jewish institutions are targeted repeatedly. Antisemitism disguised as antizionism is parsed endlessly rather than confronted directly. The result is a slow erosion of confidence in the state’s willingness or ability to enforce equal protection. When a community moves from assuming it belongs to hoping nothing happens today, the social contract has already been fractured. It is within this context that Tulsa and Panama are not merely attracting attention but actively courting. Lech Le’Tulsa and intentional Jewish welcome Tulsa is not presenting itself as a refuge city. It is presenting itself as a place that wants Jewish life to grow. In 2026, that effort has taken concrete form through Lech Le’Tulsa, a Jewish-focused relocation initiative designed to attract Jewish families, professionals, and entrepreneurs to the Tulsa area. The program combines relocation assistance with intentional community building and access to Jewish infrastructure. The name is deliberate. Lech Lecha, the biblical call to go forth and build a future, is not branding by accident. It speaks directly to a Jewish historical instinct that understands movement not as retreat, but as agency. Lech Le’Tulsa offers what many Canadian Jews increasingly feel is missing at home: A clear signal that Jewish presence is welcomed, not merely accommodated Immediate access to synagogues, schools, and Jewish communal life A civic environment where Jewish identity is not treated as a liability The financial incentives matter, but the social architecture matters more. Tulsa is offering a landing ramp. It is saying, we are prepared for you to arrive. That clarity stands in stark contrast to the ambiguity Canadian Jews experience when their safety concerns are acknowledged but endlessly deferred. Panama and the appeal of optionality Panama represents a different but equally rational response to insecurity. For Canadian Jews with international mobility, Panama offers residency pathways tied to investment, business activity, or long-term economic contribution. It also offers something increasingly valuable: optionality. Panama has an established Jewish community, a comparatively lower cost of living, and an immigration framework that openly courts skilled and capital-carrying residents. For some, it is a permanent relocation. For others, it is a second base, a contingency plan, or a future passport pathway. What matters is not the destination itself, but the logic behind the choice. When Jews seek second options, they are not rejecting diaspora life. They are applying historical lessons. Jewish continuity has always depended on redundancy, resilience, and the ability to move before crisis becomes catastrophe. The Zionist lens Canadians prefer to ignore Zionism does not deny the legitimacy of diaspora life. It insists that Jews must never be dependent on the goodwill of others for safety or equality. That lesson was written in blood long before the modern State of Israel existed. Israel institutionalized it at a national level. Individual Jews apply it on a personal level. When Canadian Jews explore Tulsa or Panama, they are not abandoning Canada in anger. They are responding rationally to warning signs. They are building leverage. They are ensuring their children have options. This is what Zionist consciousness looks like outside Israel. It is quiet, pragmatic, and unsentimental. An indictment Canada should take seriously Tulsa and Panama are not superior societies. They are intentional ones. Tulsa is saying, we want contributors, and we are prepared to integrate them. Panama is saying, we want residents and investment, and we have clear legal pathways. Canada, too often, is saying something else entirely: we are sorry you feel unsafe, but the politics are complicated. A serious country does not treat antisemitism as a public relations challenge. It treats it as a threat to civic order. That requires enforcement, deterrence, and moral clarity, including the willingness to name antisemitism even when it hides behind fashionable political language. Until that happens, Canada should not be surprised when Jews quietly explore exit ramps. The bottom line In 2026, the fact that Tulsa and Panama can plausibly court Canadian Jews is not an oddity. It is a warning. When antisemitism reaches levels that fundamentally alter how Jews calculate their futures, movement becomes strategy. History teaches Jews to act before apologies arrive too late. Canada still has time to reverse this trajectory. But time matters. And Jews, having learned this lesson repeatedly, are no longer inclined to wait.
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