Dignity Forum's Upcoming Human Rights Conference to Address Growth of Racial Discrimination in Alberta
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Panel of provincial and national experts to lead conversations surrounding racism, human rights, and the Alberta Human Rights Commission
CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alberta residents are invited to participate in an upcoming Human Rights Conference on Saturday, October 22 where they can take part in meaningful discussions on how the province can once again become a leader in championing human rights and diversity.
Created and hosted by Dignity Forum, this one-of-a-kind conference will discuss head-on the challenges faced by racialized communities in Alberta. Following a dramatic rise in discrimination and hate crimes over the past number of years, the Dignity Forum was founded by former MLA and Senator of Canada, Ron Ghitter, as an action-oriented nonprofit committed to education and empowerment to create a more inclusive Alberta.
With a tumultuous political atmosphere in the province including recent disruptions within the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and insensitive comments from the newly appointed premier regarding alleged discrimination against anti-vaccinators, the need for a unified strategy has never been more urgent to ensure the prioritization of meaningful actions and policies within the AHRC. Recent movements such as Black Lives Matter and the discovery of unmarked children’s graves on Canadian residential schoolgrounds have been bringing the conversation of racial inequality to the forefront within the community, but tangible change throughout the private sector and within the provincial government is needed to effectively combat systemic human rights issues in our province.
“The goal of this conference is to bring together as many voices and perspectives as possible to discuss the current atmosphere in our province when it comes to racial discrimination, and how we can collectively address these issues,” said Ron Ghitter, Chairman of the Dignity Forum. “Meaningful change will only come about by concerted, action-oriented programs focusing on critical thinking education programs in our schools and an active and empowered Alberta Human Rights Commission.”
To lead the dialog of how to address human rights issues facing Albertans, attendees of the public conference can participate in panel-led discussions to identify solutions to fulfill the overall objectives and visions of the Alberta Human Rights Act. Panel subjects include how to bring Human Rights involvement into our schools, a presentation by Policy Wise on their study of the Alberta Human Rights Commission and remedies to deal with racism in our communities.
Alongside Ghitter, who has been involved in the development of human rights policies in Alberta for the past 45 years, speakers at the Dignity Forum’s Human Rights Conference include Graham Lowes and Sarah Adomako-Ansah with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Dignity Forum recently entered an ongoing arrangement with this world-renowned entity to support their effort to raise awareness of their educational programs across this province, with an emphasis on teacher engagement.
Other panelists include Robert Philip, the former Chief of the Commission and Tribunals of Alberta Human Rights Commission and Professor Kathleen Mahoney, an Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Calgary and a Human Rights activist. Also participating in panel discussions are Raj Dhir, Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Marc-Alain Mallet, Chair of the New
Brunswick Human Rights Commission, and John Fisher, the Director of the Iniskim Centre at Mount Royal University and a Change Leader for Ashoka University. Avnish Nanda, distinguished Edmonton-based lawyer and lecturer will also be delivering a keynote speech surrounding racism, its origins, its dangers and remedies for counteractions.
The Human Rights Conference will also include a panel consisting of representatives from the UCP, NDP, Alberta Party and a city councillor to discuss their visions for the role of the Alberta Human Rights Commission and the necessary steps our province must take to fight growing impacts of racism.
Registration is free for the Human Rights Conference with limited seating. The full proceedings of the conference will be recorded audially and visually and will be available on the Dignity Forum website following the event. For more information on the Dignity Forum, please visit: www.dignityforum.org.
About the Dignity Forum
The Dignity Forum is a federally incorporated registered charitable organization, created to address concerns over the state of human rights in Alberta and the gaps in the operation of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. There has been, and continues to be, an alarming growth in the incidence of overt intolerance, harassment, and discrimination, of Alberta’s racialized communities. The Dignity Forum is run by an experienced Board of Directors, with strong backgrounds in the areas of human rights, education, diverse populations, and law. The Dignity Forum will combat these systemic issues through advocacy, education, and collaboration. For more information, please visit: https://www.dignityforum.org/.
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Libin
Brookline Public Relations, Inc.
403-815-5626
llibin@brooklinepr.com
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