Amazon Canada unveils Fièr.e.s, a colouring book for raising employee awareness of the experiences of people in the LGBTQ2S+ community

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 2, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Amazon Canada unveiled Fièr.e.s [Proud], a project to raise awareness among the company's Quebec employees on the realities encountered by their peers who are part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. In the form of a colouring book and collection of true stories, Fièr.e.s shares the experience of five Amazon employees in Quebec and Canada who tell their stories as members of the LGBTQ2S+ community. The 50-page book with their stories accompanied by their portraits for colouring is being distributed to staff members of all Amazon centres in Quebec to encourage an engaged, constructive dialogue on inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

"At Amazon, our teams are made up of people from all sorts of backgrounds with unique life experiences," says Zoya Zayler, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Canada. "We're so proud to launch Fièr.e.s to raise awareness about the various realities of our employees; It is our goal to continue to make our workplace an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and values its positive impact." 

"When I talk about my job at Amazon, I'm proud to tell people it's a safe place where I feel respected and valued," said Yahir Castillo, Human Resources Business Partner, YUL2, Montreal. "There are so many programs, initiatives and activities that are implemented to ensure an inclusive work atmosphere. Fièr.e.s is the perfect example of this, and the impact projects like this can have on the lives of employees is immense."

To bring Fièr.e.s to life, Amazon worked with Chris Bergeron, the established Quebec author of the novels Valide and Vaillante, who endorsed the book's texts and wrote its preface. Visual artist Maxime Prévost created all the illustrations for the project.

Pride is contagious; that is its strongest quality. One person's pride awakens another's. That is the value, the usefulness of the few portraits you are holding in your hands. Spend some time with these touching testimonials. Embellish the illustrations, by Maxime Prévost, which accompanied them with all the colours of the rainbow.

It's through small gestures like these that we push back the darkness.

- Chris Bergeron (translated excerpt from the preface of Fièr.e.s)

This initiative is part of Amazon's efforts in line with its mission to become Earth's Best Employer by creating inclusive workplaces where diversity is celebrated and where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed and advance.

You can take a look at Fièr.e.s at the Amazon booth at Montréal Pride on Friday, August 5. The company will also be there on Sunday, August 7, when several dozen staff members from the greater Montréal area will participate in the Pride Parade.

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.
SOURCE Amazon Canada

Glamazon is one of the 14 affinity groups at Amazon that helps connect, support, and empower communities of employees across the globe. The affinity group aims to raise awareness about LGBTQ2S+ issues and promote opportunities for engagement both inside and outside the company through mentorship and social gatherings, year-round. There are currently more than 40 Glamazon chapters around the world, including a chapter in Quebec.

SOURCE Amazon Canada