Statement of Commitment

Our response to equality and diversity

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and its Board of Directors acknowledges the profound grief recently experienced in many communities across California and the U.S., including our own community of Camarillo and greater Ventura County, as a result of issues of racism and inequity so visually evidenced by recent events impacting the African-American community. Speaking directly to the systemic issues of racism is vital in the days ahead as they have impacted all of us.

We stand alongside other organizations of similar design to emphatically state that we do not condone racism in any form. To the contrary, our mission statement employs us to dedicate every effort to provide excellence in choral music education and performance FOR ALL irrespective of race, sex, religion, gender or sexual-orientation.

Further, we acknowledge that our organization has much work to do and many lessons to learn around these issues. Through open and frank discussions we will ensure that all stakeholders have an equal voice in assisting us in bettering our commitment to diversity, equality and accessibility for all members.

As we launch a new fiscal year, CICA’s Board of Directors is committing to publicly undertake the following action items to ensure that we are not complacent in our abilities to address the issues impacting so many individuals and families across our community:

  1. We will use virtual programming and instruction related to CSU Channel Islands University Chorus to examine and explore the contributions of female choral composers to enrich the dialogue on what it means to treat all individuals with equity.

  2. We will continue to fully embrace and stand beside the non-discrimination policies of our two sponsored program providers, California State University Channel Islands and Pleasant Valley School District while working to strengthen our own.

  3. We will explore ways to increase the diversity of our membership and in the music we perform so that our audiences will see a more accurate depiction of their community in the faces and voices of our participants.

To this end, we dedicate ourselves to the universal expression of music in all its forms to be a facilitator of healing, a conveyor of peace, and a unifying force within our community and beyond.

Respectfully,

Board of Directors, Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA)

Dean Butler, President
KuanFen Liu, Artistic Director
Bob Rust, Treasurer
Dianna Burdick, Secretary
Sabrina Moreno, Student Liaison
Jennie Baker, Board Member
Margot Parker, Board Member
Molly Kohler Pei, Board Member
Joan Luoto Rust, Board Member

 
 
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