VISION + VALUES

“Reconciliation can not be left up to the governments, the courts and churches alone. Dialogue and action need to take place in communities all across the country. Reconciliation must take place across all sectors of Canadian society”

– Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

WHO WE ARE

Reconciliation Thunder is a non-profit established to educate and empower corporate, government, and community leaders to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, address institutional racism, and create long term change. Resources are provided online via the Reconciliation Thunder website and social media channels.

Reconciliation Thunder strives to embody the values of reconciliation in its governance by including Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices.

Our vision

Build a Better Canada
We are optimistic that we are capable to create change

As leaders, we challenge Canada to look at itself (its institutions, history, ideals, etc.) in order to understand where it has gone wrong in its relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

We inspire Canadians to respond to the 94 Calls to action and to return to the spirit and intent of the Treaties believing that Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples can work toward a better, mutually respectful tomorrow.

Break Institutional Racism
We are honest and hold each other accountable

The final report of the national inquiry into MMIWG, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the Report of the Royal Commision on Aborignal Peoples, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigneous Peoples (UNDRIP), the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, all sound the alarm of racism in institutions across Canada. The final report of the MMIWG refers to this as ‘genocide’. In these documents, colonialism is understood not as an event that has passed but a structure that must be dismantled. Addressing institutional racism involves changing the structure and DNA of institutions, not just the people within the institutions.

Believe in Individuals
We are empowering leaders who believe in a better future

Leaders are the conduits of change. We are an online community of leaders who believe in building a better future by using our positions to enact change in our organizations and communities.

our values

Connecting Leaders
Leaders are most effective in a community of other like-minded leaders
Empathy is the best tool to fight racism
We strive to be solution-focused and promote mutual respect, understanding, and empathy
Safe spaces are needed for dialogue
Our resources are shaped through honest and respectful questions and answers. We encourage the development of safe spaces for dialogue.
Education is needed before action
“Education got us into this mess and education is what will get us out of it” – Murray Sinclair. Action without proper education can lead to more harm than good.
Honor the spirit of the Treaties
The treaties were entered into with mutual acknowledgement and mutual respect. The spirit and intent of the treaties provide the guidelines to do life together in a good way.
Strategy informed by two-eyed seeing
We foster the blending of Indigenous ways of knowing and non-Indigenous epistemologies. We strive to find a balance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous representation wherever possible.
Remember the seven generations principle
Inspired by the seven generations principle of the Haudenosaunee, “in all deliberations consider the impact on the seventh generation,” we focus on the long term return on the work we do today.