2020 President’s Report

Presented by Noelle Jaipaul

I begin by acknowledging that the John Humphrey Centre is located in Amiskwacîwâskahikan, Treaty 6 territory and the Métis Nation of Alberta Zone 4. We take pause to pay gratitude to the many Indigenous peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps have marked this land for centuries, including the Nehiyaw, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Niitsitapi, Inuit, and Métis, along with many others. We are privileged to call this place home, are grateful to the ancestors who have come before us as caretakers and protectors of this land, and we honour their descendents. We remain committed to honouring the struggle of our Indigenous siblings and joining with them to end injustice. We call upon all of our collective honoured traditions and ancestors to help us work together in the spirit of community and understanding, today and onwards. 

In last year’s President’s Report, I remarked on how the world had changed significantly, faced with a global pandemic and global conversations on issues of climate change, equity, and anti-racism. This year again, it bears repeating. Over the past year we have continued to live through times of upheaval and change. And while change can be scary, it can also be transformative, revitalizing, and healing. We have seen our communities and our city come together to have important conversations about human rights, justice, and the security of all who live here. We have seen many take pause, reflect, learn, and join in conversations about how we can rebuild and reimagine our society. 

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights has continued to foster transformative change and critical conversations. For instance, the Paint the Rails project, in partnership with Edmonton Transit Service, unveiled its fifth and final mural. In addition to being exceptional pieces of public art, these murals have brought together communities to tell their authentic stories, for others to listen to and learn from. This project will continue to inspire Edmontonians through a colouring book, a children’s book, a teacher’s resource, and an augmented reality experience. This is truly work that JHC, the storytellers, the artists, and the entire community should be immensely proud of - a lasting legacy that reminds us of the beauty, diversity, and resiliency of our amiskwaciwâskahikan / Edmonton home. 

I am also perpetually amazed by the volunteers and staff we have at JHC. This past year has been the greatest attestation to their dedication and commitment to living out the values of peace and human rights. JHC has pulled together over 250 volunteers, recruited a Volunteer Coordinator, and hit the ground running. Not only were we responding directly to needs in the community, we were also building relationships amongst neighbours, educating individuals on their rights, supporting people in advocating for themselves, and working with other agencies to ensure that they too are working within an anti-oppressive and human rights-based framework. This is the heart of what we do at the John Humphrey Centre: we collaborate, we teach, we support, and we work really, really hard. The YEG Community Response to COVID-19 represented a marked shift in focus and strategy for JHC, but it also represented JHC’s innovation and flexibility, and the Centre’s ability to take on immense tasks with great heart, and, as an entire community, succeed together. 

I encourage everyone to read more about the tremendous work that the JHC has accomplished over the course of this past year. I will let the annual report speak for itself about the larger projects that have developed and grown over the past year. I will also highlight that we have drafted and adopted a new Accessibility Policy, in collaboration with a board member, JHC volunteer, and all-around superstar Roxanne Ulanicki, that will guide the work of the board, staff, and volunteers. This policy will help us to ensure that all of our programming and events operate with a focused lens of inclusion, accessibility, and dignity for all.

At the board level, we are pleased to announce that JHC has, against the odds of economic decline around the world, continued to grow. Thanks to careful work by our finance team including our Treasurer, Scott Ariza, and our Chief Financial Officer, Ramona, we have been able to earmark a contribution of $3,000 to add to our Trust Fund, with another contribution planned for later this year. Our goal is to build up this Trust Fund at the Edmonton Community Foundation a minimum of $10,000 this year. With help from our University of Alberta Community Service Learning student intern, Darcy, we developed an accountability survey to help us keep on track with our commitments to the Centre and to one another. For the second year in a row, our student intern has decided to put his name forward to serve as a full member of the board. To me, this signals that our board is a place where people feel heard, welcomed, and moved to action. 

We have been continuing to work on community engagement and fund development, and plan to have some tangible results in the coming year, in the form of improved marketing, an ‘elevator pitch’, and a way to tell the JHC story in a compelling and inspiring way to potential members, donors, and partners. We have also had challenging conversations over the past year, as every organization has. I believe it is a testament to our phenomenal board members that we have navigated through those conversations, keeping our long-term vision fixed on the end goal of continuing to strengthen the JHC. I want to thank each of my board colleagues for their absolute commitment to modeling human rights in our interactions with one another - speaking their truths with conviction, while unwaveringly treating each other, the staff, and the broader community with dignity and compassion. 

I would like to also thank Neha Ahmed, Vice-President of the Board, and Roxanne Ulanicki, Executive Member of the Board, for their board service. Both of these outstanding women will be greatly missed, and have made such immense contributions to the board in their time with us. We wish them both a fond farewell - but take solace in knowing that they are still part of the JHC family! 

Finally, there is no amount of superlatives to convey my appreciation for the staff of the John Humphrey Centre, and the volunteers that supported the work over the past year. It is cliche to say ‘we couldn’t have done it without you’, but truly, you are what makes the JHC what it is. I am astounded and humbled by your ability to persevere, show resilience, and stay positive over a difficult year. You all have made Edmonton a better place - I know you have. Each of you has made a ripple, created a chain reaction, of kindness, love, and decency in a world that can sometimes feel devoid of it. We see you, and we thank you. 

In solidarity,

Noelle Jaipaul

President of the Board, John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights