A new initiative from the City of London fronted by two King’s University College alumni looks to inform and educate the community on anti-hate practices while supporting marginalized communities. 

Known as Stop Tolerhating, the project launched last October with a $500,000 investment from Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. On the back of London hate crimes spiking up to 270 per cent since 2019, the Stop Tolerhating campaign decided that silence was no longer possible. 

“The project is very much based on raising awareness about these experiences of hate by equity-denied communities with a second focus on what tangible things can allies and bystanders do to support these communities,” said Kinga Lamphier, a 2016 graduate of King’s with a degree in social justice and peace studies, as well as the senior coordinator of London’s community inclusion and equity division. 

“ We have used local, personal and global statistics, such as Stats Canada, to see which groups are disproportionately disadvantaged and which groups are experiencing higher levels of hate,” she said. 

Alongside fellow King’s alumna Zahra Khawaja and in collaboration with over 60 community organizations, the project was able to identify seven groups to focus its attention on:  Indigenous, Black, Muslim, Jewish, Asian, 2SLGBTQIA+ and persons with disabilities. 

Through the project’s new website, individuals, communities and organizations will be able to access local resources, helplines and information to enable them to assert their rights and protect themselves and their communities from discrimination.

Lamphier said that while the project has allowed for increased public awareness of hate-related issues in London and beyond, the statistics still tell an important story. 

“To me, the numbers remain shocking,” she said. “Hate and racism are not abstract issues but ones that also exist here (in London). These are happening  in our backyards, to our neighbours and while it may not be shocking for people who live and experience this every day, I would hope it is shocking to others because  it's time to take some action and learn a little more about this.” 

The $500,000 from the province will cover the development of the pilot project, the creation of a public awareness campaign, the website and several new local resources for bystanders and equity-denied communities from June 2023 to June 2025. 

As the project continues to provide meaningful resources for change, Lamphier looks back on her time as a student at King’s University College and how it shaped her toward serving the same community she remains a part of. 

“ I grew up Catholic, went through Catholic education since I was a kid and ended up at a Catholic university and so the biggest thing for me has been a sense of respect and acceptance of people for who they are,” she said. 

“Going to King’s, I learned the value of curiosity — keeping an open mind and a desire to learn. Those experiences taught me to listen and understand the needs of the community.”

For her, these two worlds of compassion and curiosity collide in her work today. 

“That’s the heart of this campaign,” she says. “It’s about opening your eyes, learning, and then asking, ‘What can you do for these people?’ ” 

More information about the Stop Tolerhating campaign is available online.