CUAI Community Notice – July 16, 2015

Good Morning CUAI Committee members, CUAI Core Group and Domains members, Funders, supporters and community members;

It is with a heavy heart and with no easy decision that we inform you that due to a lack of operational funding beyond 2016 and other impacts of this uncertainty, the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI) is entering into a gearing down mode. We are very grateful for the last 16 years of hard work, energy, engagement and support that CUAI has received. The amount of work and impact it has had on CUAI staff, CUAI volunteers and the community is insurmountable.

The CUAI offices will remain open until December 31, 2015. While we go through this closure, we want to notify you that we will still be hosting a number of community events, sessions and opportunities over the next six months (i.e. September All Domain Priority report back and future steps session, September Successes event, October Aboriginal Resource and Hiring Fair, etc). In addition, we are in the midst of planning the “10th annual CUAI Conference” and planning a “CUAI Celebration and bundle transfer Ceremony and Round Dance” for early December 2015. We will be posting updates on all events through our CUAI channels (CUAI website, CUAI Facebook page and CUAI weekly email bulletins).

Our CUAI Domains still need your support and participation, so we ask that you please stay involved, keep the work moving and let’s work together to ensure all of the great work and Domain 5+ strategic plans can move forward. We will be hosting a September 30th CUAI Domain report back session and next steps engagement session on how the Domains could be structured to continue (poster to follow shortly). There is some very engaging work in play and we know that there will be some great synergies and partners who will step forward for future phases.

The Calgary Urban Aboriginal Initiative (CUAI) grew out of Removing Barriers: A Listening Circle, a multi-phase, qualitative, community-based research initiative that took place in Calgary in 1999. Removing Barriers: A Listening Circle engaged Aboriginal Calgarians in identifying barriers to service and systems access in Calgary, and, together with other stakeholders, vision solutions and recommendations.

CUAI is a partnership initiative that aims to support and enhance work across and between eight Domain groups by engaging broad bases of stakeholders in order to effect real and sustainable advances for urban Aboriginal people in Calgary.
Please watch for further updates to be provided. We appreciate your continued support and if you have any questions, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,
Christy Morgan
CUAI Executive Director

NT4