WENDAKE, QC, Aug. 9, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Every year, on August 9, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) marks the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. This year, the theme "Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous Peoples and the Call for a New Social Contract" carries a special meaning.
"The challenge of inclusion calls for a sincere effort by all leaders in this country to fulfill the desire of Indigenous peoples and, we believe, of Canadians, to achieve true reconciliation in a country that is considered tolerant and where our peoples have full cultural, social, political, economic and territorial rights. Certainly, the recent discovery of the graves of missing children in residential schools is, and will continue to be, a painful ordeal that not only affects generations but also tarnish Canada's reputation in the world. From now on, we must work on this part of history that is not glorious for this Canada that is considered a land of freedom and respect for human rights," declared Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL.
On this day, let us recall that the work on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) began on August 9, 1982, with the first working meeting that led to this document of fundamental importance for the 476 million of Indigenous peoples living in 90 countries around the world, which represents 6.2% of the world's population.
About the AFNQL
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador is the regional political organization that brings together 43 First Nations Chiefs in Quebec and Labrador. Follow the AFNQL on Twitter @APNQL.
SOURCE Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Mélanie Vincent, Executive Assistant to the Chief of the AFNQL, (418) 580-4442, [email protected]
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