Council of Agencies Serving South Asians

CASSA (Council of Agencies Serving South Asians) is an umbrella organization that supports and advocates on behalf of existing South Asian agencies, groups, and communities. CASSA's goal is to empower the South Asian Community. CASSA is committed to the elimination of all forms of discrimination from Canadian society. CASSA is dedicated to a number of projects and events that inform the public, aiming for equity and access for all South Asian groups. Their flagship project is "Racism Free Ontario". CASSA states their mission is to "facilitate the economic, social, political and cultural empowerment of South Asians by serving as a resource for information, research, mobilization, coordination and leadership on social justice issues". The Canadian organization allows individuals to become members for a fee of $10.00 and organizations for a fee of $20.00.
Projects and initiatives.
Welcoming communities initiatives.
A three-year project that is funded by Canadian Heritage that promotes immigrant engagement through informative meetings and events.
They organize bridging programs for immigrants to match their skills, experience, and certification to Canadian jobs because they feel that "today's newcomers face significant obstacles and are faring worse than their predecessors based on their source country". CASSA was featured in a 2008 publication of the Toronto Star expressing their opinion on the discrimination that South Asian women face and how this becomes an issue with regards to their employment.
Racism Free Ontario.
A 100-day anti-racism campaign that took place December 10, 2011. Their mission statement was to "create broader public awareness so that Ontarians accept and acknowledge that racism (structural, institutional and individualized) is still alive in our province". They succeeded in implementing the "Elimination of Racial Discrimination" (CERD) through a joint report submitted with MTCSALC and COPC to the UN Committee. Canada is required to report on their discrimination record every four years.
Brown Canada Project.
A two-year community-led project that shares South Asian history.
Their most recent collective entry point was a theatrical performance based on the 1914 Komagata Maru incident.
Health and Equity for South Asians.
A website designed for South Asians to improve the quality of their health care.