Files in this subseries reflect the function and activities of the Multicultural Committee of the BC NDP, including its various subcommittees and liaisons.
According to a “Proposed Statement of Purpose” contained in file 460-01, the Multicultural Committee of the BC NDP was established by the Provincial Executive on November 3, 1990 as a means of connecting better with cultural and linguistic constituent communities, and to support the particular needs, struggles, and interests of those communities. As a whole, the committee aimed to make Party material available in a broader range of translations, introduce relevant resolutions at Convention, organize workshops and participate in community cultural events, and encourage both the Party and the provincial government to consider the broader needs of British Columbia’s diverse communities. In 1992, the Committee also began running a regular page in the Democrat, the party’s newspaper.
Like most BC NDP committees, the Multicultural Committee was headed by a Steering Committee which included two Co-Chairs, a Secretary, a Treasurer, past-Chairs, a member of the Democrat Committee, several members at large, and various liaisons and representatives from other parts of the BC NDP; this structure evolved over time as the committee established itself. In 1993, the Steering Committee consisted of "16 Steering Committee members plus four members at large for a total of 20 voting members. ...In addition, there will be non-voting members: two Minister's staff and the Multicultural Organizer" (from file 460-02). In 1991, the Committee engaged a Multicultural organizer, a paid staff position that was terminated later by the incoming government, and reinstated in a part-time capacity in 1993. Various subcommittees were formed within the Multicultural committee as well on either a standing or adhoc basis, such as the Membership, Education, Resolutions, Policy, and Working subcommittees. File 459-14 (under the March 10, 1992 tab) contains a "Strategy and Tactics" document that further outlines the intended outcomes and methods of the committee.
Items in this subseries include meeting notices, agenda and minutes, visioning documents, correspondence, public communications, clippings, reports, memos, and other related materials.