Good afternoon, members.
I would like to begin by recognizing the spirit of fraternity that presided over the signing in 1701 of the Great Peace of Montreal, a peace treaty that established lasting peaceful relations between France, its indigenous allies and the Haudenosaunee confederacy. The spirit of fraternity behind this treaty is a model for the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence.
As previous witnesses have said, hate crime is on the rise. In Statistics Canada figures and reports, we can see that crime on the whole has decreased 10%. Hate crime, on the other hand, has gone up 37%. In addition, the number of hate crimes reported by police against certain racialized communities is also up considerably when we look at the Black, East and Southeast Asian, South Asian and indigenous communities. The official figures are likely conservative, as we know that some communities have little trust in law enforcement and are therefore reluctant to report hateful acts.
The Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization conducted a study last December that highlighted the importance of online hateful acts, which are the most common type.
We're seeing it in symbols, too. Recently in Ottawa, the Confederate and Nazi flags were seen at the trucker protests. Just 24 hours after International Holocaust Remembrance Day and on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia, Nazi flags were flying in public on Parliament Hill.
Not long ago in Mount Royal, Quebec, huge swastikas were drawn in the snow and on a hockey rink. We've seen many other hate signs, expressions and symbols in certain public places.
As part of a process with partners, the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization came up with one solution to tackle the hate problem and created the Small Illustrated Guide to Hatred in Quebec. This interactive educational tool identifies the different hate signs, symbols and expressions in a Quebec context. It's universally accessible, and it helps raise awareness while fostering prevention and educating people on the issue.
A tool of this kind fosters prevention in three ways.
First, in a more targeted way, it supports communities and environments in their fight against hateful acts.
Second, it provides tools for front-line workers, including educators, street workers, police officers and community workers. These tools enable them to identify the symbols and understand their meaning and potential danger, so that they can recognize them and act as prevention stewards in their respective communities.
Finally, on an individual level, anyone reading the guide can engage and take action against hatred using our suggestions form. If someone can't find what they know to be a hate sign, symbol or expression in the guide, they can contact us and suggest that we add it.
In conclusion, as far as solutions—