TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2018 /CNW/ - It is with great pleasure, and with a deep respect for our past, that the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) celebrates the 21st anniversary of its founding.
The CRRF was created as a result of the Redress Agreement between the government of Canada and the Japanese Canadian community. That agreement was signed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on September 22, 1988. In a speech given in the House of Commons that day, Mr. Mulroney condemned the excesses of the past – the wrongs that were done to the Japanese Canadian community - and reaffirmed the principles of justice and human rights for the present and the future. He pledged that the government of Canada would ensure, to the limits of its powers, that such injustice would never occur again.
Part of that commitment came to fruition with the proclamation of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Act in October 1996 and the opening of the CRRF one year later, in November 1997.
"Since its creation, the CRRF has established itself as a non-partisan organization whose role is to engage in research and education in order to oppose and eliminate racism and discrimination in Canada," said Rajesh Uttamchandani, Acting Chairperson. "In so doing, we have been inspired by the generosity of the Japanese Canadian community which, having won recognition for the ill-treatment they received at the hands of the Canadian government, endorsed the creation of the CRRF as a means to achieving a Canada where no other community would ever again be treated so shamefully. We are honoured to have had the friendship and the support of the National Association of Japanese Canadians for all these years. The award we conferred upon them at the CRRF Awards Gala, earlier this month is a small token of the respect in which we hold them, and we look forward to many more years of partnership."
"The best way to celebrate our past is to continue to build on the strong foundation we have been given," said Dr. Lilian Ma, CRRF Executive Director. "We will continue to offer educational opportunities through the development of webinars on a wide range of topics; the Clearinghouse, which provides researchers and students with a rich collection of resources related to race relations, the promotion of Canadian identity, sense of belonging and reciprocity of rights and responsibilities; and our newly revised journal, Directions, a curated platform for research in this area. We are also very excited about another project that will debut in late 2018. The Science of Racism focuses on new discoveries in neuroscience that point to promising approaches for further research into methods for mitigating the impact of unconscious bias. We look forward to sharing these and other resources with our national audience and our network of partners."
About the Canadian Race Relations Foundation
The purpose of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation is to facilitate throughout Canada the development, sharing and application of knowledge and expertise in order to contribute to the elimination of racism and all forms of racial discrimination in Canadian society. The work of the Foundation is premised on the desire to create and nurture an inclusive society based on equity, social harmony, mutual respect and human dignity. Its underlying principle in addressing racism and racial discrimination emphasizes positive race relations and the promotion of shared Canadian values of human rights and democratic institutions.
SOURCE Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Dr. Lilian Ma, Executive Director - (416) 441-1900 ext. 202
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