Since October 2022, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) has undertaken research to identify barriers experienced by people using the human rights complaint mechanism before the Alberta Human Rights Commission, and create recommendations to address those barriers.

In the framework of the commemoration the National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2023 (NVSCW), JHC wants to share the preliminary results from this research with the intention of deepening the learnings and starting the creation of recommendations to address those issues.

Please join us for a virtual event to be hosted on Friday, June 16th, 2023 from 10 am to 3 pm MST. The day will start with a brief presentation of the emerging topics and we will rapidly move into a series of moderated smaller breakouts that ensure all your voices and thoughts are captured. The learnings from this event will be incorporated in the report and will be released in August 2023

This research project has been supported by the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Law Foundation and Justice Canada through National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week. The research team includes academics from the University of Alberta and members of Canadians for A Civil Society.

If you are interested in attending, please register. If you would like more information, please contact Parveen Parmar at parveen@jhcentre.org

Join us for an afternoon of community learning with Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Happening Wednesday June 14th at 11:00AM!

Who we are and what we do:

In Alberta, the Alberta Human Rights Act protects Albertans from discrimination in certain areas based on specified grounds. The purpose of the Alberta Human Rights Act is to ensure that all Albertans are offered an equal opportunity to earn a living, find a place to live, and enjoy services customarily available to the public without discrimination.

The Alberta Human Rights Act establishes the Alberta Human Rights Commission to carry out functions under the Act. The Commission has a two-fold mandate: to foster equality and to reduce discrimination. It fulfills this mandate through public education and community initiatives, through the resolution and settlement of complaints of discrimination, and through human rights tribunal and court hearings.

The information session will cover our complaint process, including:

• Steps to make a complaint

• What happens with the complaint after it is accepted

• The conciliation process

• The review by the Director’s team

• Decision by the Director and beyond

AHRC marks 50 years!

2023 marks 50 years since the Commission’s establishment in 1973. To commemorate this significant anniversary, the Commission has launched the #AB50for50 campaign. The campaign encourages Albertans to challenge themselves and others to spend 50 minutes learning more about human rights or supporting human rights organizations during the 50th Anniversary year.

#AB50for50 Campaign albertahumanrights.ab.ca

Join us on May 10 to learn about Action Dignity and the programs and approaches they offer that aim to strengthen protection and realization of human rights and racial equity through systems change. Their initiatives address issues of diversity, human rights, racial inequities, mental health, public participation, and inclusion. 

Wednesday, May 10 at 11:00 AM MST

ONLINE

Join us for a stories of resilience session on March 24th at 1:00PM Mountain Time with Mirtha Rivera, who will share with us her experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Mirtha Rivera was born in the capital city of Santiago, Chile, where a military coup overthrew the elected popular government in 1973. She was active in the students movement demanding free education, she was also involved in the demonstrations against the USA war in vietnam. She grew up learning dance, and singing was an everyday activity, her father was a singer.

Politics were always an important conversation in her family. Also at the time in the 60s when the music in the radio stations was all from the USA; in English; she joined a popular theater and a folk music and dance group in her neighborhood to reclaim her cultural roots. Mirtha came to Saskatchewan as a political refugee with her husband and young son in November 1975. The cold weather didn’t freeze her creative spark, and she continued her organizing work in the Chilean community, women’s community and arts communities.

Her heart is with the ones whose voices are not heard, the disabled, the houseless, the Undocumented. She is a singer, musician, writer, political activist, animal-lover, and mother of two grown sons. She and her companera began their relationship in 1989, lobbied for LGBT rights (including the right to marry) before 2005, and married in 2010.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.

Join us on March 15th at 1:00 for a community learning session with Elizabeth Fry Society of Northern Alberta

The essence of Elizabeth Fry's religiously inspired thinking about prisoners (male and female) was that they were fellow human beings. Their treatment, therefore, should be based on ‘the principles of justice and humanity.’

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Northern Alberta started out as a group of volunteers with an office in the old Provincial Courthouse in 1977. This team of volunteers dedicated themselves to serving their community, and have continued to do so since! They believe in advancing the dignity and worth for all women, girls, and gender diverse folk. They offer a range of programming, spanning from Red Deer to Northern Alberta, including:

- Employment Services

- Housing

- Independent Legal Advice for Sexual Assault Survivors

- Indigenous Womens Programming

- Financial Literacy (and matched savings!)

- Prison liaison work and reintegration support

- Youth Programs

- Record Suspensions

- Outreach Services

- Free Counselling Sessions

During the session on March 15, they will give an overview of Elizabeth Fry’s history, their programming and touch on why they do what they do!

Join us for a stories of resilience session on Friday, March 10th at 1:00PM Mountain Time with Ronald D. Ghitter, who will share with us his experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Ronald is one of the founders of the Dignity Forum, a non profit initiative to combat racism and improve human rights protections in Alberta. He has also had the opportunity of being involved in the development of human rights policies over the past 45 years. His experiences include: sponsoring the Individual Rights Protection Act as an MLA in the Lougheed years (1971-79); chairing the Committee of Tolerance and Understanding appointed to examine our educational system in light of the Keegstra ant-Semitic teachings; framing policies as a Director of the Chumir Foundation to encourage the government to act forcibly in dealing with human rights issues and speaking at various conferences highlighting the need for priorities in these matters.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.

We invite you to the premier of Journey for Justice, a documentary on the unsolved cases of murdered of young men of Somali heritage.

For years cases of murdered young men of Somali heritage have remained unsolved in Edmonton leaving many families without closure. Over the past year, filmmaker David N.O. has documented the journey of local human rights defenders to gain an understanding of the issue, the impacts it has on community, and the potential pathways for action forward.

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, Taccalusa Institute, and the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights humbly invite you to join us for the premier screening of this important documentary.

The film screening will follow with a discussion with filmmaker David N.O., Mahamad Accord, William Mawer and Renée Vaugeois.

Join us for a stories of resilience session with Robert (Bob) Philp, who will share with us his experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Bob has extensive legal and judicial experience, which includes 9 years as an Alberta Criminal Court Judge and 7 years as a Deputy Judge of the Northwest Territories. In addition to his practice and judicial experience, Bob served as the Chief of the Commission and Tribunals of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. His practice today includes employment, labour, administrative law, and legal assistance to Indigenous communities. Bob holds executive & board positions with many community organizations in Alberta and he continues to mentor young lawyers and law students. Bob lectures at many universities and is a frequent public speaker on community, poverty, and human rights issues.

Bob has been named King’s Counsel, he received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2003 and the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005. Bob was honoured by the Law Society of Alberta and Canadian Bar Association with a Distinguished Service Award.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.

UPDATE: RESCHEDULED for February 22 (Original date: January 25)

Join us for the Stride Advocate Orientation on February 22 from 6:00 to 8:00PM Mountain Time. In this virtual session, Stride Advocates will learn how to work with community members to report or file their human rights complaints to the appropriate human rights mechanisms.

Join us for a learning session with human rights defender Su Deranger who will share with us her experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Su Deranger has been a strong voice for environmental, social justice, and the upholding of Indigenous and Treaty rights for many years. She has worked nationally, provincially, locally, and internationally in these areas. Su is the co-founder of Mother Earth Justice Advocates and is currently a member of Indigenous Climate Action, Co-Chair of Keepers of the Water, and member of Righting Relations. She has a passion for the unity of all peoples and the protection of Mother Earth. Her four children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren motivate her to strive for a better world.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.

Join us on January 26 at 10 AM for a session of community learning and education from the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA)

“Meet CPLEA” - An overview of the wealth of information offered by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA). CPLEA is a non-profit organization that provides public legal information, education, training, research and consulting services. With a multidisciplinary team, we help Albertans better understand the laws that affect their lives. We do this through our 200-plus resources, 10 websites and various projects covering a wide range of legal topics. Nathalie Tremblay is the Education Design and Evaluation Specialist at CPLEA and will be facilitating this presentation on Thursday, January 26 at 10:00 AM MST.

Join us for a learning session with human rights defender Nôhkom Jo-Ann Saddleback who will share with us her experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Jo-Ann Saddleback is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree First Nation. Her husband, Jerry Saddleback, is from the Samson Cree Nation and they have 11 children between them. Jo-Ann worked as a Policy Analyst/Researcher for various organizations and Executive Director for Metis Settlements General Council heading up Legal and Governmental Affairs. She also spent 30 years as a community developer, travelling across Canada developing and delivering workshops for RCMP, Corrections Canada, Alberta Health and Alberta Justice. As part of this work, she visited Old People in First Nations and Metis communities. They initiated her to ceremonies and evaluated the teachings she shares in communities. Jo-Ann remains grateful they entrust her to continue work sharing their wisdom.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.

Join us for an afternoon of community learning with 211 Alberta on December 8 at 2:00PM

211 is an essential service that helps Albertans find the right resource or service for whatever issue they need help with, at the right time. 211 is available 24/7 by phone, text and chat. The service is free, confidential and available in over 170 languages over the phone.

On a national level, 211 connects people to the right information and services, strengthens Canada’s health and human services, and helps Canadians to become more engaged with their communities.

Calling Edmonton Youth! Please join us for a get together and dinner on November 24th, 4:30 PM at the Buchanan Centre

Join us for dinner and art-making to strengthen calls to action on youth rights and communicate to the City of Edmonton what needs to change.

The Roots4Change team looked at the state of youth rights in the city of Edmonton in 2020 - 2021 and unveiled important gaps in access to recreational activities; discrimination in public spaces; the lack of comprehensive sexual health education; and the fact that young people do not feel represented at any level of government.

We will release the final report to the Edmonton City Council and all other levels of government in the City at the end of Fall 2022 and aim to get youth feedback on a report meant to represent them. Let’s join around dinner to have a conversation and strengthen our proposed calls to action.

We are able to offer this gathering and dinner thanks to the Telus Friendly Future Foundation.

Please Register via Eventbrite or email info@jhcentre.org to RSVP

Dinner will be provided and we are happy to make any accommodations, please let us know of any allergies or accommodations you might need!

Join us for an afternoon of community learning from the Workers Resource Centre on November 24th at 1:00PM

The Workers’ Resource Centre is a charity that assists people in all of Alberta through various employment related legislative bodies, such as Employment Standards, Employment Insurance, AISH, CPP-D, Human Rights, Short Term/Long Term Disability Insurance and WCB. Our casework program offers guidance, advocacy, and representation through these processes free of charge. The Workers’ Resource Centre also provides free Public Legal Education to agencies to equip workers with the current information about their workplace rights and to empower workers in their place of employment. Furthermore, the Workers’ Resource Centre has a Sexual Harassment Advisory Program where our Sexual Harassment Legal Specialist helps clients through situations where they experienced sexual harassment in their workplace by connecting them to the relevant resources and by assisting them through the appropriate legislative bodies.

The Workers' Resource Centre (WRC) is a charitable, not-for-profit organization providing free assistance and guidance to Alberta workers. They help Alberta workers through advocacy, their Casework Program, and Public Legal Education. The WRC can assist with:

• Employment Standards

• Employment Insurance

• Workplace Injury (WCB)

• Human Rights

• AISH

• Disability Insurance

• CPP-Disability

• Sexual Harassment

Each of us has our own style, preferences and ways of operating. So how can we all work together? This interactive, information-packed Personal Success Workshop helps participants explore their own distinctive personality strengths and stressors, learn to respect and appreciate differences in the ways people function and lays the foundation for relationship building, effective communication and team building. True Colors is a great addition to building your organization to be inclusive and play to the strengths of your entire team.

Registration is required as materials need to be sent in advance to prepare

Join us for an afternoon of storytelling with Edmonton Japanese Community Association's (EJCA) Paul Fujishige on November 18th at 1:00PM

Paul Fujishige was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba as a 3rd Generation (Sansei) Japanese Canadian. He moved to Alberta since 1980 and has lived in Edmonton since 1991. Paul has shared 38 generous years to his career in Government, Non-Profit and Education Sectors, primarily in the Disability Services field. He is a Board Member in his local United Church and a social committee member of Matsu no kai Senior’s Club. Furthermore, the internment of his family during the Second World War helped shape and solidify his focus on advocacy. Currently, Paul is the President of the Edmonton Japanese Community Association (EJCA). He became president since 2020 and have been involved with EJCA since his retirement.

2023 marks an important year for us at the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, as well as for all humankind. Seventy five years ago, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into force as the first international framework for human rights at the United Nations’ following the atrocities of the second world war.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

One of our goals this next year is to create a learning environment with the older generation of human rights defenders who have much wisdom and capacity to share with the younger generations, and vice versa, to encourage intergenerational learning. Thanks to the support of the New Horizons for Seniors Federal Grant and Contributions Program, we have the capacity to facilitate a series of online learning sessions with seniors so we can learn from them and strengthen the capacity for our collective work on human rights across generations.

Join us on October 26 at 1PM Mountain Time to discuss Bill 80

Calling lawyers, legal professionals, human rights advocates, law students, and non-profit organizations to a virtual conversation and gathering on the impacts of Bill 80, which made several key amendments to the Alberta Human Rights Act and to the complaint process at the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/403727167827

Join us for a session on Choice Theory, October 12 at 5:00 PM Mountain time

Reality Therapy based on Choice Theory is a self empowering tool, developed by William Glasser in the 1960s, to help individuals recognize how they choose behaviour to meet their basic needs, and how those choices impact their relationship with both themselves and others. Understanding and using this tool strengthens self as well as relationships within the family, school and work. It will be highly beneficial for members of RR to learn about these tools.

Join us on September 20th from 4:00 to 5:00 as we go over the Paint the Rails resource book for Teachers

As part of Alberta Culture Days in September, we are excited to release both the Paint the Rails (PTR) Legacy Book and the virtual Teacher Resource to schools. Paint the Rails is collaboration between local artists, elders, and various community organizations that produced five beautiful public murals painted throughout Edmonton LRT and transit stations. Use this legacy book to engage your students in understanding and celebrating stories of strength, resilience and settlement of eleven distinct communities within the city of Edmonton.

We have built a corresponding Teacher Resource to support educators in using the book’s many key features in their classrooms. This is a fantastic resource to engage students in learning about history, diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. Register on September 20th to learn how to use the virtual teacher resource to better incorporate the PTR Legacy book in your classrooms.

Salam Al 3laykum Brothers and Sisters,

We invite you to a Saturday afternoon to discuss, collaborate, and enjoy a delicious Somali lunch with us on September 17, 2022 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. The Anti-Racism Muslim Collaborative (AMC), along with John Humphrey Centre (JHC), are releasing a report on the community engagement sessions held in 2021 around anti-Black racism in Muslim spaces. We will share visual representations of the process, findings and action items resulting from this journey. This event is meant to share what we heard, but also to get feedback and engage for the purpose of moving forward with the community. We hope this event opens a path of collaboration with diverse community members and organizations to make our Muslim spaces safe and accessible for everyone.

Place: The Green Room will be graciously hosting us in their beautiful new space.

Lunch will be provided by JHC through Guuto Mothers.

Childcare will also be provided by community volunteers with limited capacity for ages 2+ (request childcare in your registration by emailing info@jhcentre.org)

Accessibility: There are stairs at the entry of the Green Room’s space. Fortunately, there is a wheelchair lift that can also accommodate a stroller. (Capacity is 2 people with 1 wheelchair at a time).

We look forward to seeing you there.

Please RSVP By September 10th, 2022

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/399884554467

Join us for the Stride Advocate Orientation on September 10th from 10AM to 12PM

In this virtual session, Stride Advocates will learn how to work with community members to report or file their human rights complaints to the appropriate human rights mechanisms.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/403782001837

Voice of Albertans with Disabilities actively promotes full participation in society and provides a voice for Albertans with disabilities. We are a cross disability, non-profit organization of and for people with disabilities. We are guided by the principals of Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion.

VAD offers assistance to fill out paper forms, photocopy documents and get applications ready for mailing. We work with the following:

• AISH Application forms

• AISH Appeal forms

• CPPD forms

• CPPD reconsideration forms

• Leisure Access Pass forms

• Personal Taxes (for Low Income Individuals during tax season only)

• Income Support Application forms

• Disability Tax Credit Application forms

• Old Age Security forms

• Alberta Adult Health Benefit forms

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/386174617677

Join us for a zine-making workshop on public education and health in Lethbridge! Happening August 11th at 5:00PM

Action Alberta Lethbridge, along with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights are hosting a series of zine-making workshops! The first will have a centre theme of strengthening community capacity

Throughout October to December 2021, a team from Lethbridge and surrounding area came together to reflect on racism, hate and discrimination. Through a journey of five dialogue to action sessions, the team learned from each other, built relations and talked about practical strategies to affect change in and around Lethbridge, Alberta

Through the lens of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice, the team built a series of calls to action for the community. We now wish to collaborate in a series of Zine making workshops that will share these dialogue outcomes in a fun and creative manner

This will be a hybrid event. There will be the in-person session at Volunteer Lethbridge and a virtual/online component

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/386182872367

Join us for a virtual Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, Aug 10 with the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitatation - CEASE. The Vision at CEASE is a community where there is hope, respect and transformation for individuals, families and communities affected by sexual exploitation, sex trafficking and social inequality.

CEASE provides tools for persons who have experienced sexual exploitation or sex-trafficking to heal and renew their lives. Our work includes peer and community support, bursaries, counselling, trauma recovery, transition supports and public education.

CEASE has three core strategies, and all their programs work to support these. They work to:

1. Heal the Harm

2. Build for the Future

3. Foster Hope & Inspire Positive Social Change

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/386170746097