2014 Rights and Freedom Award - Equitas - International Centre for Human Rights Education to be honoured

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 14, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse will present its 2014 Rights and Freedoms Award to Equitas - International Centre for Human Rights Education in recognition of its human rights education programs for youth and children in Montréal.

The award will be presented at a ceremony at Montréal's City Hall on November 19, on the eve of the 25^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Equitas programs Play it Fair and Speaking Rights are aimed respectively at 6 to 12 year olds and 13 to 17 year olds, and are designed to promote human rights, non-discrimination and peaceful resolution of conflicts. These programs are offered in summer camps and after-school programs in many cities in Québec and Canada and were first developed in 2005 in partnership with the City of Montréal which submitted Equitas' candidacy.

"The jury chose to honour Equitas in recognition of its exceptional achievements and the innovative aspect of its awareness raising programs based on the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child", said Jacques Frémont, President of the Commission. Jury members were impressed with the human rights education programs of Equitas: their impact and their potential to reach many youth."

In the past 10 years, Equitas has helped raise awareness of more than 500,000 children and youth in Québec and Canada, offering them the opportunity to gain a better respect for diversity, inclusion for all while reducing conflict through cooperation. Equitas places the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child such as non-discrimination, equality of chances, the best interest of the child, the right to development and to participate at the heart of its programs.

Jury members of the 2014 Rights and Freedom Award are Camil Picard, the vice-president of the Commission, and two youth leaders recognized for their social commitment: Marly Périclés of the Commission's Table de concertation jeunesse and Émilie Lebel, a lawyer active in the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) who was nominated by Steve Foster, winner of the 2013 Rights and Freedoms Award. The jury wishes to highlight the quality of the submissions and the important work of so many individuals and groups dedicated to the promotion and defense of the rights of youth everywhere in Québec.

25^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Since 1988, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse has awarded the Rights and Freedoms Award each year to an organization or an individual as a public recognition for exceptional achievement or commitment to the defence of human rights. This year the award will be presented on the eve of the International Day on the Rights of the Child to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1989 to recognize and protect rights of children specifically. In Québec, all children and teenagers are protected by the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To learn more on the Rights and Freedoms Award and previous winners, please visit: http://www.cdpdj.qc.ca/en/commission/services/Pages/pdl.aspx

The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission) ensures the promotion and respect of the principles set out in the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It also ensures that the interests of children are protected and that their rights recognized in the Youth Protection Act are respected and promoted. In addition, the Commission oversees compliance with the Act respecting Equal Access to Employment in Public Bodies.

Contact:
Jean-François Gagnon
514 873-5146 or 1 800 361-6477, ext. 230
[email protected]

SOURCE: Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse

Jean-François Gagnon, 514 873-5146 or 1 800 361-6477, ext. 230, [email protected]