Please have your pictures sent to hrcwinnipeg@gmail.com by July 31st, 2020!
*** A message to act from the Winnipeg Area Human Rights Committee ***
Calling all PSAC members to get involved! Make your signs of “SOLIDARITY” with family and friends, take a picture, submit it to PSAC and your work might be viewed in a collage to mark today’s history - let’s make a commitment to change together!
Over the past several weeks, most of you have been hearing about the Black Lives Matter movement. All across the world, protests are being held where people are coming together in solidarity and in support of black lives and black rights. It’s remarkable to see the world unified during a time of pandemic and during a time when racism has been at an all time high the past several years. Many who were not able to attend protests due to the pandemic were lighting candles at their window sills to show their support in the movement.
In Canada, June marks Indigenous History Month. This is a month to celebrate our Indigenous Brothers, Sisters and Friends. A month to show our appreciation for the beautiful land we are inhabiting, a month to learn about the rich history, customs, teachings, and traditions of those who this nation belongs to. This is not enough. Make no mistake, this country has a lot to make up for to truly reconcile the wrongdoings of the past and present.
Indigenous communities are still suffering from the impact of colonization. Many communities are living without safe water and in poverty. Indigenous people face a significant amount of stereotypes and biases that are deeply embedded in the justice system of this country. The Indigenous population of Canada represents approximately less than 5% of the Canadian population, but represent over 30% of the prison system. The numbers are staggering and significantly disproportionate. We need to ask ourselves, Why??
Individuals who identify as Black are estimated to represent approximately 3.5% of the Canadian population, but over 8% of the prison system. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, a person who is Black is 20x more likely to be shot dead by police in Toronto. Why??
The Black and the Indigenous population are plagued by systemic racism. Racial profiling, denial of services, the legacy of colonization and slavery, all have a part to play in the way the communities are perceived by authorities. Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlines the human right to have equal protection without discrimination before the law.
The PSAC Prairie Regional Human Rights Committees call upon our members to show your Signs of Solidarity. We are asking our members to take some time out of their day to join in a virtual protest - light a candle for the lives lost and the injustices Black and Indigenous people continue to face. Show us your artwork, picture, or your message - teach your children about systemic racism during arts and crafts time and help the future learn from the mistakes of the past.
We all need to take a stance in the fight to make our futures, our kids futures, and our quality of life, better. Equality can only be reached when we truly work together.
Please send your completed pictures/messages to: hrcwinnipeg@gmail.com by July 31, 2020.
*“INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE” - Brother Martin Luther King Jr.