The Stigma Organizational Assessment Cycle (SOAC) project is the result of a community call to action for stigma reduction advocacy in BC. Their goal is to support organizations to learn how their programs and services may be contributing to stigma and discrimination and identify opportunities and actions for change.
This project aims to develop a learning cycle for BC organizations to assess, and then address stigma and discrimination within their organizations. They will base this learning cycle on an accreditation or audit process and create tools and resources – including a peer-based surveyor team — for organizations to discuss areas of potential improvement related to stigma and discrimination, gather data to support learning, and provide mechanisms for action planning to implement real change.
The idea for SOAC emerged at the Stigma Reduction Interventions Deliberative Dialogue hosted by PAN (Pacific AIDs Organization) in 2019. The catalyst for the Deliberative Dialogue was our work leading the BC People Living with HIV Stigma Index, a community-based research study.
CAN (LET”S) was contacted by this exciting new project to contribute to better health and social outcomes for people in BC by sharing stories of our members experiences with stigma.