News Release: ANFCA/JHC Partnership Announcement

Edmonton, AB (October 16th, 2014)

On this day, two Edmonton-based organizations will mark the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s visit to Edmonton with the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding.

Since 2007, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights and the Alberta Native Friendship Centres’ Association have been working together to inspire and transform youth in the province as well as build bridges between First Peoples and other Albertans.

As part of their common mandates to strengthen local communities for the prosperity of all, this relationship has grown and on October 16th, these organizations will celebrate their partnership and announce recent funding from the Federal and Provincial governments focused on advancing their mutual goals for youth in Alberta.

“This is a great opportunity to collaborate on the many issues that directly affect urban Aboriginal peoples in Alberta,” says Nelson Mayer, Executive Director of the Alberta Native Friendship Centres’ Association. “The mandate of the John Humphrey Centre aligns strongly with that of ANFCA and we are looking forward to formalizing our already existing partnership.”

“For us, this partnership means that the local Friendship Centre in each community in Alberta is our first point of contact. They are our friend and ally in the community and we agree to work collaboratively to engage people in the community in a way that seeks to transform,” says Renée Vaugeois, Executive Director of the John Humphrey Centre.

Brief presentations will be given by Merle White, President of the Alberta Native Friendship Centres’ Association, Joan Cowling, President of the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, and Robert A. Philp, Chief of the Commission and Tribunals of the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

This signing also comes a day before the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. #yegendpoverty

Date: Thursday October 16th

Location: Canadian Native Friendship Centre, 11728-95 Street

Time:  11:00 a.m.
  followed by refreshments

Funding Announcement

Kicking off with a youth retreat November 7-11,  the This is Our Canada project will bring 30 diverse Albertan youth together to challenge their perspectives of Canada and consider our identity as Albertans in the Federation of Canada. These youth will engage their community in the conversation and be part of a legacy art installation to be presented to the Premier. Along the way, Emmanuel Jal, actor in The Good Lie with Reese Witherspoon and former Sudanese child soldier will share his perspectives with the youth on an Alberta-wide tour.

Pushing this work further, JHC and ANFCA will also be working with other partners to promote youth dialogue and engagement on issues surrounding cultural diversity, social inclusion and human rights through the Building Peace Project. In Edmonton, Rocky Mountain House and Fort McMurray, youth will engage in a six month dialogue to action program that will engage the broader community in discussion on their learnings. Visits with local elders and community agencies will engage the youth in learning about the history of their community and developing an understanding of community relations.

These projects have been made possible thanks to the support of the Government of Canada and the Alberta Human Rights Education and Multiculturalism Fund.